When listening to Save Ferris's 1997 album It Means Everything it becomes quite obvious why the used music store always has about twelve copies in stock.
This is the kind of album everyone would buy during the 1990's ska craze, but, unlike the credible and lasting work of, say, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Reel Big Fish, would quickly forget and ultimately sell a year later.
Regrettably, too many songs are justâ¦okay. "Nobody But Me" is basically the same thing as "The World is New" with a few extra words; "Under 21" is fun to move to, but has some of the dumbest lyrics I've heard (I only want to have a little fun/But everytime I try they tell me/You're not 21); the horns and vocals in "Spam" sound wonderful, but once again, the lyrics are dreadful (Spam is "my best friend"? What the hell?); "Lies" makes a admirable attempt at using a string arrangement, but it doesn't fully work–especially on a ska record.
On the plus side, though, lead singer Monique Powell does have a great voice, and has a greater range and more energy than your average female rock singer. And the few stand-out tracks include the opener, "The World is New," "Little Differences," a lively cover of "Come On Eileen," and "Sorry My Friend," which has a nice catchy chorus and a cool saxophone solo from Eric Zamora.
So basically, you get what you expect. There's nothing relatively new or exciting, just an average bunch of ska/rock songs with a few interesting crumbs of creativity (various horn solos, bouncy choruses, great singing, etc.). This is certainly the kind of band more enjoyable live than on your stereo.
When we look back on the history of ska, Save Ferris will be nothing but a footnote (if that), but It Means Everything is still marginally entertaining. Not nearly the best 1990's ska album out there, but if you come across a used copy for only three dollars (like I did), than it's worth picking up on an impulse. Then let it collect dust in your closet.