Easy Big Fella - Fruit Cup

All Music Guide

Following on from their debut album Easy Listening, Easy Big Fella begin stepping out from Two Tone's shadow, and start exploring the larger musical world. Thus Fruitcup is an appropriate title for this set, featuring as it does a sweet mix of musical styles and oh so tart lyrics.Those sharp as a tack lyrics are more than an equal to the band's excellent musicianship, delivered to perfection by lead singer Rick Dybvad. Particularly good is his dry delivery on "Mom and Dad", a paean to parents that the singer drips with irony. But in the lyrical stakes, top prize goes to "Surfin the Trees", a hilarious homage to longsuffering Seattle surfers.For those unfamiliar with the Northwest, the surf's never up in the Puget Sound, thus the Fellas are left sitting in their woodies waiting for the waves that never come."Surfin" is a superb blend of surf and ska, just one of the fabulous mix and match numbers within this set. Also of note is the Slavic oompah twirl of "Hell's Kitchen Polka", the sul...try Latin sounds of "The Astrolube Tango", the upbeat steppers styling of "Grey Day" (not the Madness hit), and the dark lounge lizard like aura that skanks through much of "Las Vegas". It's 3rd Wave at its most accomplished, while the Fellas are equally adept at recreating the sounds of the past, as they showcase on "Once More", a retro reggae number boasting the sweetest of melodies and gorgeous vocals juxtaposed against the insistent rhythm and bright blasts of brass, with a long middle break that allows all the horns to take a solo spin. Read more Less