The Bad Penny (beta)

Artist: Patrick & Eugene
Album: Altogether Now (Birds Bees Flowers Trees)
Label: Tummy Touch Music Group
Release date: January 26

“More cowbell,” you say? How about more calliope? More ukulele? More banjo and trombone? And don’t forget about the bouzouki while you’re at it. Patrick & Eugene are two men who love making music – Altogether Now ends any debate over that. Equally true: These Brits, liberated from sarcasm and irony, are intent on putting a smile on your face. Subtitled Birds Bees Flowers Trees, this is a rare, all-ages record that will brighten your spirits – even when you’re down in the dumps. Even richer, their magical mystery doesn’t really sound like anything else you’ve heard lately – unless you’ve been watching reruns of “The Muppet Show” broken up by slices from Firewater’s 1998 klezmer-gone-wrong classic, “The Ponzi Scheme.” Pop junkies will no doubt pick up on P&E’s polka-fied cover of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” tho’ it’s hard to say which it sounds more unlike: the original or the Flaming Lips’ version. No bother: Adept comparisons crumble as the playful act bounces, “la la la la”s and hippie-hip-hoorays its way through Altogether Now. You’re probably wondering if these guys take themselves seriously, but really, the answer doesn’t matter: On this record, musicality – sunny as it may be – always trumps schtick.

Assets:

• YouTube clip: “The Birds and the Bees” music video
• YouTube clip: “Don’t Stop” music video
• YouTube clip: “Bet You Look Good” music video

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This entry was posted on 01/12/2010 at 7:40 am and is filed under Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Firewater, Kylie Minogue, Patrick & Eugene, the Flaming Lips, the Muppets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.