Zebrahead play with pop simplicity and bouncy alternative rapcore on their second major label album which comes filled with humorous skits, fast paced radio gems and a few tracks which showoff a rarely seen serious side of the group filled with honest lyrical content and vibrant song structures. The band has always been a bit on the flamboyant side combining spastic punk/ska rhythms with hip-hop and pop sensibility and outrageous verbal wails steadied by deft raps, but this record seems to push the envelope even further into that realm with songs akin to something that sounds like a cross between Smash Mouth, the Bloodhound Gang the 2 Skinnee J's and Lit, with a believable rapcore edge.

Vocally, the tracks are crammed with rhythmic raps that sprint through the cleverly written verses only slowing down to belt out undeniably hooky choruses before jumping right back into the race never skipping a beat. Vocal tones used lean towards a higher pitch and feel overtly happy, but don't sound out of place or annoying as they swagger through the 12+ tracks included here. While lyrical content for the most part is a bit childish and stuffed with references to the obscurities of pop culture, with topics ranging from the tongue in cheek masturbatory tribute to Playboy magazine that is the title track all the way to the questioning views on the ills of society and the world, on the introspective "What's Goin' On" which tackles everything from homosexuality to violence in schools. Guitars are slightly shrill and unload repetitious riffs with a punk rock mentality that is backed by experimental plucking and a bevy of effects, that paint a vivid high end stacked with rapid riffs and upbeat chord progressions while incorporating a variety of styles. Bass is essentially the backbone of the material, carving thick grooves underneath the other instruments with a ska/funk influenced technique that builds up steam with winding scales and springy stuttering plucks, serving as the foundation for the guitars and vocals and showcasing an impressive amount of talented and educated ability. Drums are tightly tuned and mixed in gracefully enough to keep their presence low key as they work closely with the low end to tug the songs forward and keep all cylinders firing.

The band implements some programming and a few samples here and there, but more or less stick to their sugary brand of poppy rapcore that injects energy into the listener while keeping them amused with cleverly written lyrics and enticing songwriting. The album is definitely a welcome change from the bleak and depressive world that heavier music has latched onto as of late and although the music contained here isn't necessarily "heavy", it still packs enough punch to keep the listener on their toes. One of the highlights of this outing is definitely the offbeat skits and sketches that buffer in between the tracks and although there's always the risk of the joke growing old after a few repeated listens, the band has kept them short enough to not interfere with the overall continuity. They've also branched out in a few new directions incorporating more Latin elements and rounding out their sound with a poppy candy coated glossing, but they still haven't really evolved much from their last release and rather, have just gotten better at writing smooth songs and playing their instruments. The bulk of tracks here could easily be interchanged with cuts from their last album and although this CD establishes the group as solid musicians, it adds little to anything they've done before. That said this release is still unquestionably addictive and could quite easily become a guilty pleasure for more than a few loud music fans. Zebrahead may have been spending some of their time enjoying the offerings of Playboy magazine, but luckily for us they haven't slacked off on their musical career in the process, as this album represents a leaner more focused style and manages to maintain the hunger that their debut possessed. Some may say the band needs to reinvent themselves or branch off into different genre's to survive in a climate that is becoming more and more unfriendly to bands that pair rap and rock, but they don't seem too worried about any of that as this sophomore outing ends up adding strength to the old cliche, if it ain't broke, then don't fix it.