They aren’t kidding about the ‘bad’ part
There’s something to be said about musicians that aren’t really talented. Usually they’re very bad but excel at self-promotion and suckering people into making their product better than they would ever be able to on their own.
Having said that, I love the Lonely Island guys. Be it their Saturday Night Live digital shorts or their new album, Incredibad, I really dig what they’re putting down. The video and song above for “I’m On A Boat” are likely the single greatest thing I’ve seen and listened to this year. If there’s one thing the group does best in the musical realm, it is spot-on satirizing of grandiose hip-hop song structure and content.
While “I’m On A Boat” is the most well-known example, album track “Like A Boss” comes in a close second in that regard. Andy Samberg professes his aptitude as lead of a generalized office environment in a tone-perfect send-up of every hardened rapper ever, lending authentic menace and incredible juxtaposition to buzzword-speak like, “Promote synergy,” and “Direct workflow.” From there his braggadocio extends to detailing a manic and ludicrous average workday that includes sucking his own dick and eating chicken strips.
The hip-hop send-ups are by far the most successful aspects of the disc, which explains why there are so many of them. Also a nice touch is the raspy delivery on “Boombox,” which ratchets up the tension of the ludicrous verses before the dude from the Strokes comes on and actually makes a song better for once in his life. Lyrically it is a little bizarre; I’m not really certain where Samberg got the idea that bourgeoisie white folks eat a lot of boiled goose, but its a pretty good joke.
Less successful are most of the skits on the album, which much like a regular rap CD are horrendous. There’s a few songs that feel unfinished, especially one-note ideas like “Space Olympics” that rely a lot on the accompanying videos to really help the jokes land.
The total product has an odd duality to it. Like most comedy albums, much of the material loses its luster upon repeat spins. But it also feels like about half the tracks transcend comedy album status; if I heard “I’m On A Boat” or “Jizz In My Pants” in a nightclub, I’d be dancing. So what we’re left with is exactly what every record label is after: an album that has to be purchased to get the maximum enjoyment out of it. The DVD included in the physical package is going to make all the difference and really prop up some of the slower, more staid moments.
That’s a really smart move for a group releasing its first album and a sure step towards producing a second one. I know I’ll look forward to it.
the Lonely Island - Like A Boss [1:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download the Lonely Island - Punch You In The Jeans [2:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadIncredibad can be purchased digitally from iTunes, where they’re like number one all the time or something. If you’re into things that are totally incongruent and unnecessary, you can purchase this music, on which there is only one single actual instrument in the whole works, on vinyl LPz. CD is available on InSound too.
