Although not many good things came with the release of Samuel L. Jackson’s film “Snakes On A Plane,” we can praise New Line Cinema for exposing Gabe Saporta’s band Cobra Starship to the limelight.

Saporta’s previously written song titled “Bring It” from their first album “While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets” was reworded by the group to fit the story line of “Snakes On A Plane,” and was perhaps the most memorable aspect of the movie. The song gave the band instant celebrity status and on Oct. 23, they released their second album titled “Viva la Cobra.”

The band, made up of vocalist Saporta, Victoria Asher on the keytar, Ryland Blackinton on guitar, Alex Suarez on bass, and Nate Novarro on drums, claim that the subjects of their songs are meant to be somewhat superficial in an attempt to convince “hipsters” to take themselves less seriously.

In “Guilty Pleasure” they sing “And maybe someday I’ll believe/ That we are all part some bigger plan/ Tonight I just don’t give a damn/ So shut your mouth it’s time to dance/ If the world is ending, I’m throwing the party.”

Lyrics like these bring a not-so-serious tone to the music, which in some cases, is very refreshing.

The disappointing part of the band’s album is the fact that it doest veer far from everything else similar bands have recently produced. Most of the songs, including “One Day Robots Will Cry” and “Guilty Pleasure” make it hard to guess whether it is Cobra Starship, Maroon 5, Coldplay, or Fall Out Boy.

Also the voice of Saporta is nothing out of the ordinary, which makes the songs easy to disregard.

The main aspect of the album that would actually draw listeners is the lyrics.

Although many of the lines are humorous, there is usually an underlying message that makes for a very good song.

In “Prostitution Is The World’s Oldest Profession,” they sing “Go on, believe, if it turns you on/ Take what you need ’til your body’s numb/ Prostitution is revolution/ You can hate me, until you pay me/ My submission is your addiction/ So just get out while you can.”

When first heard, this song is very funny and the beat makes it very enjoyable to listen to. However, when the lyrics are read more closely, it seems that the song is about relationships between people. The reference to prostitution is a comparison to being emotionally or physically submissive.
Some songs on the album bring a new beat but they definitely do not outnumber those that are copies of more long-standing bands in Hollywood.

Although it is unlikely that this band will go beyond the 15 minutes of fame allotted to many groups on the same path, their music is definitely worth enjoying for the moment.
**** out of *****