It's hard to know how to look at Flight of the Conchords. What comes first, the hilarious HBO series or the music? Exactly how seriously do Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement take themselves as musicians? Anyone who followed the HBO series knows they're obviously outstanding comedians, but how are they as songwriters? Well, as displayed on their self-titled debut, better than one would think.
This album is entirely comprised of songs from the TV series, which lends to one of the album's glaring shortcomings: They don't include enough of their signature jams. Who knows why Leggy Blonde"" or ""The Prince of Parties"" made the cut when ""I'm Not Crying"" and ""If You're Into It"" didn't. This is a soundtrack, but it's also a band's debut album.
The standout track, ""The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room),"" stays true to the original version and encapsulates the best parts of Flight of the Conchords. The duo combine a smooth acoustic melody with humorous lyrics that fit like a well-tailored pair of pants. Like most tracks, the song is enough to stand on its own without any sort of humor, but that's what defines the Conchords. They use pickup lines like ""You're so beautiful you could be an air hostess in the '60s,"" and ""You're so beautiful you could be a part-time model, but you'd probably have to keep your normal job,"" and still manage to come off as humble and complimentary.
One-liners like those are the calling card of Flight of the Conchords. During a conversation with Outer-Space David Bowie, Jemaine questions, ""Do they smoke grass in space, or do they smoke AstroTurf?""
The biggest disappointment on this album is an apparent lack of energy. It sounds more like soft-rock than their older, folk/comedy gems, most notably on ""Robots."" The previous recording on last fall's EP was an easy favorite, but it had much more energy. On this album the subdued tone sucks some life out of the monotonous machines and ultimately robs the listener of any desire to join in the Robo-Boogie.
Not every re-recorded song suffers, though. The hip-hop anthem ""Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros (feat. Rhymenoceros and the Hiphopopotamus)"" maintains the enthusiasm of two wanna-be rappers who just so happen to be brilliant lyricists.
""A Kiss Is Not a Contract"" is a heart-felt confession from two superstars looking for more from their female companions. As they explain, ""Just because I'm in a two-man novelty band doesn't mean it's all about poon-tang.""
Living up to expectations cast by a series like ""Flight of the Conchords"" is a tall task, and one that would leave the duo open to criticism regardless of the album's true merit. The truth is, this album does not live up to the TV show but succeeds because of it. This album might not be essential, but Flight of the Conchords, in some form, is. When it comes to writing smart comedic jams, there's nobody better.
