Bret McKenzie – Freak Out City (Sub Pop Records) (13th Floor Album Review)
If Bret McKenzie isn’t already an officially designated national treasure then it’s about time somebody made him one.
The man is undeniably a prestigious talent: he’s a founding member of the Black Seeds; he brought us the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra; played in various bands such as The Dub Connection, The Shrinks (musicians playing tiny instruments) and The Canapes; has written an Oscar-winning song, Man or Muppet, for the Muppet Show movie; his songs have been sung by international stars such as Lizzo, Celine Dion, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brittany Howard, Ricky Gervais and the less physically substantial but no less famous Lisa Simpson and Kermit the Frog.
He’s a frickin’ (thanks for the pass card Mr Luxon) walking legend!
And, of course, he is one half of that world conquering duo, Flight of the Conchords. With partner Jemaine Clement, Mckenzie brought NZed quirkiness, self-effacement, and offbeat humour to a global audience winning accolades and fans all over. There’s not many locals who can lay claim to a BBC Radio show and an HBO series!
This is Bret’s second solo recording – that difficult second album. And, whereas Songs Without Jokes was a complete unknown with a set of songs that exposed a more personal look at the world from McKenzie, Freak Out City was always going to have to be a little self-centred.
The result on Freak Out City is, as the title suggests, an almost disbelieving view of things as they appear to be.
The album opens with Bethnal Green Blues, a wide-eyed glimpse of slices of life from the perspective of some rather unfortunate, unlucky individuals.
“You hear about the guy from Bethnal Green that lost his life under a drink machine
What a way to die…
Never got to a chance pursue his dream lost it all there for a fizzy dream,
And that was his life.”
It’s a rather Eleanor Rigby vision, penned by McKenzie’s obvious hero Paul McCartney (more of that later).
“But every day’s a little more difficult I hoping’m holding out hope for a miracle,
Maybe I’m aiming to high?”
McKenzie sings hopefully over a piano-heavy backing track that conjured Donovan during his radio high-rotate days.
And while Eleanor Rigby was and remains a truly standout song mainly due to the use of a string quartet for the musical element from a rock and roll band at the height of their fame, Bethnal Green Blues doesn’t quite hit as high as McKenzie is aiming.
The title track, Freak Out City, has a more leg-twitchy feel – jazzier notes with elements of Dr. John over a samba beat.
It’s another disbelieving picture focussing on the rise of conspiracy culture and how we’ve all been twisted by the rise of the internet.
“I sent you a link what do you think, there’s a whole lot of shit they don’t want you to know…
Whoa whoa whoa, whoa here I go, going down the rabbit hole…”
Musically it certainly is a little crazy reflecting the subject matter. But possibly it’s a little laid on thick, almost as if it should be seen as a stage production: perhaps a musical.
And that’s the feeling I get the more I listen to this album – it almost needs the visual display and some acted interludes.
There’s a K.D. Lang feel to the next song, The Only Dream I Know. The cowboy lilt and strummed guitar would be enough for Ms Lang with her powerful, syrupy voice.
“Keep on dreaming night and day til the sandman comes my way.
I’m not gonna to let it go, its the only dream i know.”
McKenzie, sadly, does not possess such a voice, but he is a great songwriter. However, the orchestration is unnecessary in my view.
Sometimes less is more.
Randy Newman gets a nod in the next number All The Time.
“You’ll always be a miracle, don’t forget you’re beautiful”
“Child, if you got time for me, I got all the time for you…”
It’s a lovely, laid back, slightly bluesy love song. One of the stand outs for me on this album although the A Day In The Life-inspired outro is maybe out of sorts, but the sax is sexy.
It will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, just like a good love song should.
The main thrust of this album is true to the title with that slightly crazy, unhinged perspective of a mad, mad world, and That’s the Way That the World Goes ‘Round soon has us back on track.
We’re back to the New Orleans jazz style here – “Got muscles in his had that never been used, thinks he’s on top of this town. That’s the world the world goes round.”
It’s sardonic and sideways looking, as you’d expect. Again, I can’t help feeling this is part of some musical theatre and maybe it is. I bet it’s great live!
All I Need has a lovely gospel-inspired acapella intro then falls into a more rocky song, keeping that gospel structure. It could almost have been written by Paul McCartney.
“When I think of you, your heart of gold, you’re all I need, yeah you got it all.
When I think of you, you fill my soul, you’re all I need, yeah you got it all.”
McCartney seems to be lurking in the shadows of this album, his influence on McKenzie seems obvious, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Eye On the Sun is an upbeat ditty suggesting we ignore all the worries and hassles and keep focussed on the prize.
“Some folks are freaking, saying they’re leaving…
Before we go falling into the oblivion…
Yeah I got my eyes on the sun.”
It’s terribly catchy and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be humming it the shower wondering where that tune came from.
Another gospel-infused intro with plenty of nice backing oohs and brass band burps brings us back to New Orleans and Too Young.
Mac Rebennack would have been happy to sing this one.
“I don’t need your big ideas comin our your little brain. Folks like you you gotta mend.
You wont find me there, I’m gettin’ too young for all this shit…”
It’s stroppy and rebellious, in an older-guy kinda way.
The ending has that theatrical feel again, but it’s a nice little cadenced finish.
Highs and Lows swings into view as a whistling cowboy sways to the rhythm of his horse.
“There’s a strange wind blowing, but no way of knowing, if its coming or going to stay…”
It breaks to an orchestrated, bigger-feeling song. Here’s Donovan again…
“The highs and lows come and go on the ocean tide.
But every so often all is forgotten and everything’s alright.”
The final track is pure McCartney. The intro is straight out of Get Back and song could be a Wings cover.
“I don’t want to start a fight…
I should’na come here tonight.”
The guitar solo is banging and if you don’t get up and dance to this one, you ain’t got a soul. The song has a familiar retro feeling – have you heard it before? Don’t I know this one?
That’s the feeling I got from a number of these numbers – I might have heard it all before.
It is definitely hard to follow up on that second release, especially when Songs Without Jokes was such a cracker, and Freak Out City does well enough, but does stumble on occasion.
The US and Kiwi musicians are sublime and let McKenzie bask in the limelight, but deserve a mention: Los Angeles players Leland Sklar, Dean Parks, Drew Erickson, Chris Caswell, Joey Waronker, and New Zealand musicians Ben Lemi, Leo Coghini, Jacqui Nyman, Moana Leota, Iris Little and Justin Clarke. Co-produced with Mickey Petralia and mixing by Michael Harris in Los Angeles at East West Studios also deserve a mention, although, for me, the production is a little homogenous – it’s all played at the same volume and I would prefer a little more space on some of the tracks.
And a nod should go to Paul McCartney for his enduring influence on popular music. McKenzie even has the same intro to his name in his bid to be recognised as the McCartney from Aotearoa, but there are a couple of others ahead in the queue for that title.
But for all his success and achievements over the past half decade it has to be said about Paul McCartney – he’s not The Beatles is he!
Alex Robertson
Freak Out City is released today on Sub Pop Records
Bret McKenzie Official Website | Instagram |TikTok | Facebook
