Holy Schnikes! wrote a ska punk banger. I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say this is the best work that Holy Schnikes has put out. Holy Schnikes! the debut album came out in 2022, and they’ve released a smattering of songs in the time since, mostly on comps and tribute albums. In December 2023, they released Ceasefire, an aggressive punk song for charity, to raise awareness of the then 2-month-old assault on Gaza that is still an ongoing genocide. Holy Schnikes! also teamed up with Common Sense Kid for a cover of How Bizarre (written initially by OMC), and I thought the pairing was perfect.
Fast forward to May 30th of this year, and Holy Schnikes! is back with Common Sense Kid in another great single, this time an original. The song starts off with somewhat aggressive rock-style guitars and drums before horns jump in, and the ska guitar riff drops in under the vocals. As the first chorus ends, we get a nice guitar slide as we drop into the pre-chorus and chorus and then return to that intro rock-punk guitar with some horns that led to the first verse.
Then, Common Sense Kid comes in with the second verse, and it’s entirely rapped, which adds more texture to a song that already features multiple genres and good transitions. This verse fits perfectly and feels natural with the songs (Common Sense Kid also had backing and gang vocals in the chorus, so it makes it feel even more natural as part of the song and not a weird addition).
Then, after the second chorus, we get a nice instrumental portion of the song that features a fun, kinda, catchy horn-led section that bridges to a breakdown and a slower, stripped-down chorus before building back up to the full, aggressive final chorus. The song has at least 5 significant transitions and executes all of them well, mixing genres and influences throughout in a way that always feels natural and fun.
Lyrically, the song is about ending a relationship before it starts because of your own insecurities and the belief that someone who likes you is out of your league. It’s fun, playful, and self-deprecating, but it doesn’t feel too serious. When I asked about the song, singer/ songwriter Mike Alvarez mentioned that it was inspired in part by Five Iron Frenzy’s “Pre Ex-girlfriend,” which, lyrically, makes a lot of sense.
Holy Schnikes! might not be a household name in ska, but I feel like that’s going to change. The songwriting and execution keep improving, and this song is an absolute banger.
Written by Gimp Leg
