Review: Flight of the Conchords
There are two types of people in this world: people who love Flight of the Conchords and people who are genuinely perplexed and annoyed by why other people find them so funny.
Exaggeration or not, the former are still in luck, because New Zealand’s most popular musical export, not to mention television’s most endearing bromance, has cranked out a second studio album.
Like their self-titled debut, the majority of the songs on the effort, aptly titled “I Told You I Was Freaky,” were featured on this past season of Flight of the Conchords. But what the album lacks in surprises, it makes up for in consistency and hilarity.
For Conchords fans, the album sticks to the format that has catapulted them to success: catchy, genre-bending instrumentalism, coupled with infectious, witty and predominately bizarre lyrics.
While tracks like “Fashion is Danger” and “Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)” showcase synth-infused dance beats, other songs range from reggae to heartfelt acoustic ballads. But regardless of the genre, each track tethers on the delicate edge between parody and paying tribute.
Time will tell if any of these new tracks can ever reach the quote-worthy status of “Business Time” or “Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenoceros,” but some show considerable promise. In “Carol Brown,” the pair fictitiously details a number of creative excuses women have given for leaving them: “Felicity said there was no electricity, Emily, no chemistry. Fran ran, Bruce turned out to be a man.”
While “I Told You I was Freaky” abounds in many of the same successes as its predecessor, it may also suffer its most obvious pitfall. That is, that many of the tracks are far more enjoyable once you have seen them incorporated into the plot of their HBO series, rather than exclusively on the album. A bit of the humor could be lost on those without the frame of reference.
But whether they find the album to be epically hilarious or simply silly, fanatics and newcomers alike should be able to appreciate the musical diversity and lighthearted charm of this solid sophomore release.