Taking things a little too literally

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much before listening to the recent release from Flight of the Conchords. Normally parody albums never work as well without the visuals. Admittedly I Told You I Was Freaky is nowhere near as good as actually watching the second season of the New Zealanders' eponymous TV show, but after declaring they may not return at all, this is quite a good send off for the duo. This album is made up of songs from the second series, consisting of 13 songs written especially for the HBO outing (the first album & series was made up of songs written over several years).

Jemaine and Bret kick off with ‘Hurt Feelings’, a rap informing the listener that, in fact, rappers have feelings too. Never again will I forget to compliment a gangsta’s profiteroles. This definitely made me change my opinion, deciding to go on from here with more of an open mind. The sixth track, ‘Rambling Through the Avenues of Time’, has plenty of classic lines that you may find yourself writing in your very own love song. (Okay, so maybe not, but comparing a love to “a Parisian river … what, dirty?” will probably get some attention.) Of course, the thing that sets the Conchords apart from other parody bands is their ability to write music that has been taken seriously and it isn’t until you listen carefully that you realise these songs aren’t to be taken to heart. A mention has to go to ‘Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)’; perhaps Jemaine and Bret have been to Club Neon on several occasions? Just give it a listen and I’m sure you will understand.

They seem to have perfected the parody genre here, poking fun at known songs without directly lifting the music from these songs, showing again the effort gone into this album. This is best shown from songs 'Fashion is Danger', which directs its synth-playing finger at The Human League & Gary Numan, and 'You Don’t Have To Be a Prostitute’, a hilarious twist on 'Roxanne' by The Police, by declaring to Jemaine that maybe he should look through his many other talents before having to sell himself on the streets.

Overall, I Told You I Was Freaky is no substitute for the television series, but as this could be the last we hear from the duo, it may be a last chance to indulge in some ridiculous music parody.

Released 20 October 2009 on Sub Pop

Words by Alex Drake