OK guys, band meeting! Bret? Jemaine? Jemaine? Where’s Jemaine? Oh yeah, he left the band to become a vampire movie star and left Bret to fend for himself. Cool.
So while Jemaine Clement swans around when Vladislav in What do we do in the dark, his Flight of the Conchords bandmate are here to write and release solo albums. And with no crime partner, he took us seriously with his new album The song has no jokes.
The new recording shows McKenzie firmly packing humor into the back of his songwriting cabinet as he released his first “serious” album. Instead of jokes, Muppet duets and parodies helped him find fame, McKenzie deployed techniques, strings, and flair. Now, instead of songs about robots from the future, he sings about the state of the world, love, and the fall of America.
There are some compact songs on the new record, “Goodbye America” So cute, “Up in the smoke” is a heartbreaking ballad and “Dave’s Place” was a spirited initial introduction to McKenzie’s first solo effort.
The highlight for me was definitely, “Today tomorrow.” Coming out just before the album ended, it was filled with carefree summer vibes that put me in the mood for a vacation.
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The whole album is pretty adorable and while it seems like a million miles from McKenzie’s origins with Flight of the Conchords, it’s still instantly recognizable, which I like. So, listen and let us know what you think.
Then, if Flight of the Conchords isn’t familiar to you, go on the internet and search both series for great musical comedy moments. You can thank us later.
