Having achieved cult status following the success of Flight of the Conchord’s first season, New Zealand comedy duo (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) are back with a second helping of quirky musical satire.
I Told You I Was Freaky is a collection of 13 tracks taken from the show’s second season. And from the opener ‘Hurt Feelings’ – the emotional lament of a sensitive rapper – you know the boys are going to deliver the goods. No genre goes unparodied, yet the comedic punch the duo packs doesn’t feel at all forced.
‘We’re Both In Love With a Sexy Lady’ is a ridiculously brilliant R’n’B ballad that wouldn’t feel out of place on R Kelly’s Greatest Hits collection. It sees the two slowly (and soulfully) realise they’ve both got the hots for a girl they’ve just met: “Was this about 20 seconds ago?/ No, about 23 seconds ago”.
Their beloved folksy sound is there too, with Bret’s lofty acoustic number ‘Rambling Through the Avenues of Time’, and ‘Friends’, a simple homage to the duo’s relationship: “Friends borrow money /Never pay it back /Friends do not/ let friends do crack.”
Other highlights are the brilliant electro-rap ‘Sugalumps’ and of course, the title track ‘I Told You I Was Freaky.’ (Any song with the lyric “I’ll go outside and get some leaves and pretend to be a tree/ You can be a squirrel and store my nuts for me” is ok in my book!) Fans and non-fans alike will enjoy this second dose of hilarity from these wonderfully off-the-wall comics.