Album Review: Zebrahead - "Playmate of the Year"

Release Date: August 22, 2000

Producer: Howard Benson

 

     Back in 2000, Zebrahead’s “Playmate of the Year” was the ideal summer Southern California album that had teens and young adults’ rock out and dance in their Randy River clothing while sipping on a Vanilla Coke. The overall sound is great; it’s a vibrant record that uses its production quality to its full advantage. With the target audience of 13-20 years in mind (aside from obvious Zebrahead fans), “Playmate of the Year” fits nicely between Blink 182’s “Enema of the State” and Sum 41’s “Half Hour of Power” on the shelf. Once again, Justin Mauriello and Ali Tabatabaee provide a killer singing/rapping dynamic as they perform songs about ex-girlfriends, house parties, failed relationships, and society observations. Well really, what else is there to talk about when your primary audience is in high school?

 Strengths on this record are “Now or Never”, “Wasted”, and “Hell That Is My Life” because they have the classic ZH sound. Mauriello’s vocal range is very impressive but at the same time can be annoying. “I’m Money” and “Livin’ Libidio Loco” are examples of whiny vocals and songs that are just plain ridiculous. I understand ZH likes to have tongue-in-cheek songs but these suck.

Hey, it’s a decent record in its entirety. This is a record I’d play at house parties because it create a relatable atmosphere. It has the pastiche of an American Pie movie soundtrack and will always have elements of a timeless sound.

Rating: 6.5/10