Of the bands that rose to fame as part of the Swing Music Revival of the '90s, the Squirrel Nut Zippers stood furthest apart from the pack. Unlike their peers, the Zippers were not beholden to the jump blues and big-band sounds of the '40s, instead drawing influence from hot jazz of the '20s, with the group's manic energy and surreal, witty lyrical perspective giving the music a unique flair. The Squirrel Nut Zippers were also one of the first bands to score a hit single when the Swing boom hit, the fiercely catchy 'Hell,' and they continued to record into the new millennium. The Best of the Squirrel Nut Zippers brings together 18 songs spanning the group's recording career, including tracks from the albums (1995), (1997), (1998), and (2000). The album also includes a previously unreleased cover of 'Under the Sea' from the Disney feature The Little Mermaid.

Taj Mahal Movie Theme Song. Big-band sound loses some of its nutty nuance Without a release in nine years, the Squirrel Nut Zippers needed to come back with a bang. And in the most literal sense they do, with less than two measures of a snare beat leading to horn and saxophone blares. This, and the rest of the live album, is a no-nonsense recalling of that lost big band era.

But with just bits of soulfulness (“Do What”) and tango flair (“My Drag”) scattered throughout, Lost at Sea is no discerning reminder of the band itself. Most notably, it replaces a heavy dose of its Southern roots for unadulterated rowdiness, save for new song “Happens All the Time.” Though this exchange does not make the album any less enjoyable, it does little to distinguish the band from the era.

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