They match his jacket, a fitted item with a wide collar. He looks like an equestrian, except equestrians aren't in the habit of wearing skin-tight leather pants.

Flip a few pages forward and there he is again, laying in a tub laced with plastic plants and white lilies. Silver platform boots this time with matching gloves.

The sword he holds is in level with his neck. The picture is one part Martha Stewart, one part Marilyn Manson. Two extremes at odds.

His image matches the theme of their new album, a collection of tracks extolling life in the new century and deprecating its ills. "Soul Caddy" is both heartbreaking and humorous, sweet with a hint of bitterness.

Part of the ska-swing movement that blossomed in the mid-90s, the Oregon band went mainstream in 1995 with the release of their single, "Zoot Suit Riot." Five years later, the very same cadence is still part of their sound, though this time it serves more like a foundation. R&B beats, Caribbean pop and folk-inflections infuse each track, to create a fresh new sound. Each combination -- R&B with swing beats, or even Caribbean airiness -- works beautifully to convey varying emotions.

"Diamond Light Boogie" begins with heavy electric guitar bars before softly giving way to trumpet and saxophones. It is reminiscent 1970's rock music but alludes to the more colorful icons of the present: "Now it's a cyberdelic world of jet boys and tiger girls/They sold us down the river but the Diamond Light still shimmers from our hearts."

At the opposite end is the album's title track, sans the contraction, "Soul Cadillac." Caribbean beats dominate in this piece, accompanied by swing's flair. It's fast-paced, and as far as melodic ranges goes, contends with the mournful "Saddest Thing I know."

In "Soul Cadillac," the happiness of a soul is likened to a Cadillac. That joy, instilled by the love of a girl, is enough to be "transformed from a dirty truck."

The final track "The Saddest Thing I Know" brings the album to a close with a note of regret, as well as resolution. It's the longest track, yet seems the shortest. It's a quiet observation of being alone in a time where the excesses of life has disillusioned people, particularly the woman he loves from afar. Without the accompaniment of other music influences, "The Saddest Thing I Know" plays like a scene from "Casablanca". It's melancholy and exquisitely heavy with trumpet and piano.

"Soul Caddy's" uniqueness makes for an enjoyable foray into music crossovers. With such a sound, Cherry Poppin' Daddies may yet have another song to better "Zoot Suit Riot."