Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder IV
Oglio Records
By Kevin Hakansson
Remember Nerf Herder? How about I refresh your memory: they hit it somewhat big in the mid ‘90s, first with the surf-rock theme song from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, later appearing in the series’ finale. Around the same time, their self-titled debut album produced a mini-hit in “Van Halen,” an ode to/parody of, well, you know.
After the band’s sophomore album featured goof-offs like “Pantera Fans in Love” and “Lamer than Lame,” it was clear what Nerf Herder was all about. Their self-described “geek rock” didn’t take itself too seriously, and eventually neither did the band members themselves, having spent much of this decade dormant. However, after an unofficial split after 2002’s American Cheese, the band’s three original members have reunited, and the appropriately titled IV features the same head-shaking antics the band became known for.
Anyone who had an appreciation for the joke-punk that Nerf Herder has always shown a penchant for will certainly dig what they are doing here. “Oh Me Oh My” gives the listener an idea of what the band is all about; poking fun without being overly offensive. The chorus of this tune shouts exclamations you might hear if your grandmother stubbed her toe; “Holy Smokes, Goodness Gravy, Great Caesar’s Ghost!” sings vocalist Parry Gripp.
From there, Gripp and company explore some of the silliest lyrical topics that might seem totally out of left field for any other band. “High School Reunion” explores the winners and losers one might encounter at such an event, while “I’m Not a Loser” straight up berates high school foes. “Garage Sale” provides a comical look at the crap you might see on someone’s front lawn on a Saturday morning in early September, and “(Stand By Your) Manatee” features the type of word play that sounds like it’d been conceived by my stoned high school friends (probably exactly what the band was going for). Highlighting the album is another of the band’s attempts to shit on novice music fans (and sneak in plenty of pop culture references), “Led Zeppelin Rules.”
Nerf Herder certainly hasn’t returned with a new album to break down any musical barriers. They’re still playing the same pop-punk they were playing when they first hit the scene as much younger men in the mid-nineties. In fact, they’ve done a pretty stunning job of keeping their sound consistent from record to record, and they sound like they’re still having an awful lot of fun doing it.
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