There was talk in
the local media recently that Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, aka Flight Of
The Conchords, were working together again. Planning something special. It may even
have been in the context of putting together a brand new television special, I
can’t recall the exact details. But it’s been a full decade since the release
of the duo’s self-titled debut album, so it seems timely to acknowledge the ten-year anniversary of that release, and the scarcely
anticipated success that followed ...
The Wellington comedy/musical outfit certainly lived
the dream. From humble, relatively isolated, small-town New Zealand roots, to
the big wide world of HBO sitcom celebrity, best-selling albums, lengthy international tours, Grammy Awards,
Oscars, and Emmy nominations, it was a wild ride for a few years there.
Just because
they’re funny. Or rather, just for being able to strike the otherwise frequently elusive
balance between good music and good comedy. Without ever crossing over too far
into that murky shameless world otherwise known as the Novelty Act.
It’s more
of the knowing smile/quiet chuckle, warm fuzzy type of humour, as opposed to
the belly laugh variety, but then that’s an integral part of its charm. Quiet,
observational humour about everyday situations, occasionally dark, often
sardonic and mocking, seriously satirical, and usually highly self-deprecating
– what’s not to like?
And who says they’re trying to be funny anyway? On this
evidence these blokes are surely serious musicians … purely in a not so serious
kind of way, obviously.
Did I mention, gee whizz, they also collectively nabbed
a coveted Wellingtonian of the year title? Ahem.
Best tracks: ‘Inner City
Pressure’ (Neil Tennant eat yer heart out), ‘Leggy Blonde’ (featuring sidekick
and “band manager” extraordinaire Rhys Darby), ‘The Most Beautiful Girl (In The
Room)’, ‘Business Time’ (“that’s why they’re called business sox”), and the
best of the bunch, ‘Bowie’ (self-explanatory … inter-planetary, even) …
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