OKLAHOMA CITY — There’s something that will always be undeniable about the “summer album,” the kind of release that just pairs inherently well with sunshine, window-down drives, and beer-soaked sing-alongs.
Maybe that’s because we all want an album we can reliably throw on and instantly enjoy every time we’re forced to jump into a hot car and stick to the sun-baked seats.
Maybe it’s because we need something to keep the energy up and the blood pumping when we’re hopping from cookout to cookout all season.
Or maybe it’s because the entire appeal of summertime is the undying nostalgic feeling of young freedom – no matter how old we get – and we’re always just trying to capture and ride that feeling with some effortless cool and comfy tunes that remind us of the heydays.
Well, OKC ska-poppers Fair Weather Enemies are set to drop that surefire summer album on July 15th with “Drats,” their long-anticipated debut and the capstone to a year or so of building and grinding away at a reputation for brass-blasted energy and up-strumming fun.
At just 25 quick minutes, it’s still right to call this one a “full-length,” not only because punk and ska albums often don’t break a half hour, but also because the band finds a way to demonstrate all of their strengths and interests and doesn’t bother belaboring or rehashing.
This is straight-up, classic ska – no spinning or reinventing of the wheel here.
It’s pure 90s pop-punk sentiment and requisite reggae-infused rhythms punctuated wherever possible by the skas-swinging rolls and fills of drummer Jon Jackson, banging through a kit as tightly focused and deep as a “Darkness”-era Max Weinberg.
But of course, it couldn’t really be ska without the brass.
While plenty of those 80s and 90s horn-punks to which the Fair Weather boys are harkening back were content to just blast the brass on the lead melodies and then take a big step back while the singer did his thing, “Drats” does it differently.
The horns are definitely employed to blare out the big kick-off melody lines, of course, with player Ryan Brown often pulling double duty throughout on both trumpet and trombone. But on a lot of these tracks, those brass lines continue snaking through the songs and reappear as countermelodies or accompaniments to the chorus vocals.
It’s a cool touch, weaving those melodies more cohesively into the songs and writing the tracks around those big brassy melodies rather than just adding some horns to some pop-punk and calling it a day.
The punk still pops, though. There’s no question about that.
Bassist Caleb Gonzales slips and slides all over, taking the bass for a walk and keeping the energy up on every track.
Guitarist Tommy Yi cranks up the six-string and is content to provide the high-chord “um-chukkas” and let the horns carry most of the leads in classic ska fashion, even though he’s proven live that he can absolutely shred and cover any missing brass at a show.
And that leaves singer Jake Behrens providing all the punk rasp and pleading pop sentiment that give each song its bleeding heart, from tales of annoying hangers-on to good old-fashioned earnest love songs of infatuation.
Again, there are no wheels reinvented here, but there’s also no time wasted and no stone left unturned in the search for a great catchy hook or ear-worming summer melody.
It’s just good, throwback ska. So throwback, in fact, that they’re dropping the album on a Tuesday, just like back in the day.
If only there was a CD release planned for stores that day, we could all camp out or send our unemployed friend to grab three or four copies for us like we used to do.
Alas, no matter how hard we wish otherwise, it’s 2025. So that means just streaming albums like “Drats” and letting all that fun and electricity spark daydreams of those perfect, broke summers full of sticky car seats, books full of scratched-up burned CDs, and the boundless pop-punk energy that we thought we’d have forever.
“Drats” by Fair Weather Enemies drops on streaming services Tuesday, July 15th with a vinyl release planned for August and a full album release show and party set for Friday, July 18th at Grand Royale in The Plaza alongside Belle Riots and Tasty Bang.
For more, follow @fairweatherenemies on Instagram.
You can find out about local music and performance happenings in the OKC metro weekly in this music column by Brett Fieldcamp. | Brought to you by True Sky Credit Union.
Brett Fieldcamp is our Arts and Entertainment Editor. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for 15+ years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
