Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords

Band: Flight of The Conchords
Album: Flight of the Conchords
Genre: Comedy/acoustic
Label: Sub Pop

Tracks:
1. foux du Fafa
2. Inner City Pressure
3. Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous
4. Think About It
5. Ladies of the World
6. Motha'uckas
7. The Prince of Parties
8. Leggy Blonde
9. Robots
10. Boom
11. A Kiss Is Not A Contract
12. The Most Beautiful Girl
13. Bowie
14. Au Revoir

If you haven't heard of Flight of The Conchords yet, you must be living under a rock or simply without basic cable movie channels. The group, comprised of Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement, have been making international headlines since their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2002. They first hit it big in Australia, then moved and took over the UK and in June 2007 the group premiered their now hit television show on HBO here in the USA. Following that, the band released their first six song ep which went on to garner a Grammy nomination and brought us to where we are now. Next week, on April 22nd, Flight of the Conchords will release their full length self titled debut via our friends at Sub Pop Records. We've been graced with a copy of this amazing album prior to it's release and let me tell you: if you think you've seen all the Conchords have to offer, you haven't seen anything yet.

Anyone familiar with the Flight of The Conchords television show may find the tracklist for the full length to be a bit of a setback in terms of their excitement. All of the songs found on the album were previously heard on the television series, but that shouldn't turn you away as these versions are much more lush than the versions heard on the show. Through the album, the Conchords have been able to give fans high quality recordings of their favorites and the rich instrumentation is sure to draw in new listeners. For anyone new to this group, allow me to note a few tracks you must check out. "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous," is a hilarious acoustic hip hop jame that really showcases the Conchords ability to make you laugh without simply telling jokes. For instance, the line, "They call me the Hiphopopotamus/my lyrics are bottomless," is followed by silence. If you don't get that joke, don't worry, there is plenty of more obvious jokes as well. The fourth track, "Think About It," plays like a parody of Marvin Gaye's, "What's Going On," but with an original twist. The music, as is apparent on the entire album, is quite catchy and well crafted, but it's in the lyrics [which tell the "hard truth" about what's happening in the world today] that true gold is found. Now, the Conchords aren't the first group to traverse original songs in the comedic world [see: Stephen Lynch], but unlike those other artists, the Conchords music works both as real music and humor. For starters, as is quite apparent on, "Ladies of the World," both members of The Conchords can sing amazingly well. Aside from singing, as I already mentioned, the musicianship is top notch. Some songs will start with simple use of acoustic guitar and then, out of nowhere, there will be drums, bells, and other various instruments creating a lush soundscape for the listener. "The Most Beautiful Girl," plays like an early 90's rhythm and blues song and stands out as the band's most well developed song on the album. It could almost be a top 40 single if it weren't so flat out hilarious. The last song before the short closer, "Au Revoir," pokes fun and influential rocker David Bowie without crossing the line from making light of a rock hero to trashing a rock hero. The Conchords pull out all the stops attempting to reference the singer while asking him questions referring to his career and how literal he takes his own songs. Anyone familiar with the aging rocker's catalog will more than likely find this to be nonstop hilarity which leaves you laughing as the closer plays and really, when it comes to comedy albums, what more could you ask for?

There's something special about the self titled release from Flight of The Conchords that is quite rare in the comedy world: replay value. Through intelligent songwriting and the ability to craft amazingly catchy accompaniment to their jokes, Flight of the Conchords have made an album that has the staying power of a great pop record. This near flawless album is the perfect way to celebrate an already impressive career and paves the path for a bright future for the Conchords. The last ep may have only garnered a Grammy nomination, but I'd willing put money on Flight of The Conchords walking away with not only a Grammy next year. Buy this album as soon as you can. You won't regret it.


*Written By: James Shotwell*
Grade: 9.5/10
MYSPACE