“This self-titled debut album by HBO’s kiwi wunderkinds is an intelligently playful parody romp through about 10 genres in 15 tracks. Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie set themselves apart from trashy pop-culture comics with lyrics that employ childlike wonder rather than childish humor. Album highlights “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” (with the signature line “Ain’t no parties like my nana’s tea parties”) and “Ladies of the World” (which rhymes “cutleries” with “knees”) lean on goofiness rather than offensiveness in a way that is refreshing. There’s something slightly missing for the listener who’s seen them live or watched the show, as part of their charm is definitely in the visual delivery (and the spontaneous keytar solos). But the lyrics hold their own as comedy poetry, and the album as a whole is stuffed with feel-good laughs.—Lavinia Jones Wright”
