How The Aquabats conquered The Floating Eye of Death by doing a complete 180 on their ska roots

Two measly years later, the ska bubble had already burst. This went beyond just its mainstream relevancy; the departure of Tomas Kalnoky from then-burgeoning band Catch-22 was a point of major contention within the scene. Other bands, such as The Suicide Machines, were starting to drift towards a more conventional punk/hardcore sound. Already feeling pigeonholed to a now-fleeting genre, The Aquabats saw the opportunity to explore uncharted musical territory.

The guitar work is another serious departure from the band’s earlier work. In lieu of up-strummed open tuning, the band opted for a jagged, almost sinister tone (aided with the help of palm-muted choruses.) The Devo influence is especially strong in this aspect. There are moments where this track reminds me of Mongoloid or even something from the Hardcore Devo compilations.

One thing Floating Eye retains from Fury is the storytelling songs. There’s Lotto Fever, about a man who throws his life away waiting for the sham wishes promised to him by a “magic” fish. Or perhaps there’s Monster’s Wedding, where the narrator finds himself the husband in an arranged marriage involving a court of horrifying monsters. While clearly in line with the band’s ridiculousness, these stories are much less chipper than Fury’s tales of being ambushed by midget pirates. One reason for this is that these stories don’t have happy or even goofy endings; Waiting for Godot has a more complete ending than Monster’s Wedding does.

The bigger reason is the instrumentation of these songs. While horns are still sparingly used from time to time, these stories are mostly tied together by distorted guitars and bloopy, occasionally noisy synth leads. This is a total reversal of Fury, where horn sections drove the songs as some light keyboard helped the bass and drums keep the song’s backbone in line. And while we’re talking about drums, the departure of Travis Barker (aka Baron Von Tito) forced the band to dial back on songs that would require his famously technical and hard-hitting style. As a result, songs on Floating Eye are much more low-energy, favoring subdued hooks and melodies. This works in the band’s favor in my opinion, as it allows for more sonic diversity (which there’s plenty of.)

Some of Floating Eye’s ambitions fall flat. For one thing, there’s Tiny Pants, which is considered by most Aquabats fans to be their worst song. The MC Bat Commander switches between a below-average Elvis impression in the verses to a grating Chipmunkified chorus. The synth preset is also annoying, resembling a child’s toy more than a real instrument. There’s also Monster’s Wedding, which feels a little unfinished in the songwriting department, relying too heavily on lyrics and vocal delivery. For an album almost overflowing with synths, horns, and guitars, this track feels a little sparse.

Although the quality fluctuates a bit in the middle, Floating Eye ends on a high note. There’s Amino Man, a song cowritten by and featuring backing vocals from The Offspring’s Dexter Holland. The song at its core definitely feels like an Offspring track with its crunchy major chords (something missing from most of Floating Eye) and addictive chorus. Again, I fail to see how this album was lacking in single material. However, the song is a satire on steroid addiction, so perhaps Goldenvoice didn’t want to anger The Offspring’s core fanbase.

The album comes to a close with Hello, Good Night. This track seemed destined to be the final one, being structured similarly to a lullaby. It actually reminds me of the children’s music They Might Be Giants used to do. The guitar and piano tones are pillowy, and the song also features, in a stark shift for the album, optimistic lyrics. It’s an uplifting song reminding you that even if you’ve had a rough day of misfortune, that day will be over when you say good night and go to sleep. A choice fade-out on the repetition of “good-bye” brings the album to its end.

While The Aquabats have done well for themselves in the second wind of their career, Floating Eye remains my favorite album from them. I love the album’s weird forays experimental post-punk and new wave, all while keeping their goofy ska aesthetic intact. Although some songs are stronger than others, I think it’s a true achievement, and one that deserves a better reputation than “that weird album that almost killed their career.” In fact, it’s one of two records from 1999 that almost kick-started what could have been the fourth wave of ska. Could this be foreshadowing for a part two? Let’s just say I won’t be Wasting My Life procrastinating on my next article.

Related posts:

I left Oregon in 2011 and Nike, Inc in 2013. I couldn’t have hoped for a better 16 years with a single company so it was tough to leave the nest. My wife had a great opportunity in NYC and we wanted…

Know someone who might like Migratory Notes? Please help us spread the word: Here’s the subscribe form and here’s an archive on Medium. Got a story or an immigration-related resource or opportunity…

Faivish Pewzner is a leader for healthcare services in the greater New York City region. His company is based out of Brooklyn, New York but he has clients all over the three-state region. His hard…