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So you're in your favorite hipster record store. You're trying
not to stare at the girl in the TV On The Radio T-shirt
and you're kind of hoping to run into those friends you only see
at shows and record stores. You don't really want to be seen with
a cartoon CD cover depicting two intergalactic travelers at an
open-mic night. You certainly don't want that girl comparing her
Liars purchase to your Zen Boy And Karma Girl selection.
The cringe-worthy band name is only matched by an equally insipid
album name and a ridiculous liner-note story about crashing on
Earth and playing folk shows until they can fix their spaceship.
The absurd premise is sadly the only original part of the act.
The songs are basic folk melodies over lyrics about a dull, directionless
life. Fairly disappointing content for a pair of supposed aliens.
"Everyone's so serious, I just want to play," Zen Boy
sings on the opening track, setting the bar low for the couple
to reach. "I am only a copy, what'd the original say?"
The rest of the album happily riffs on the dull squareness of
their lives. "There won't be no drinking tonight," they
promise on one track, removing any expectations of the couple
pursuing the alcohol-fueled excesses of The Hold Steady.
The disc's highlight is "Wonder Woman," which questions
why she of the invisible plane and the lasso of truth would date
the song's self-sorry protagonist. With a few funny lines about
superheroes, it certainly trumps the bulk of the tracks. However,
it mainly just follows the same thread as much of the record.
The album ends with Zen Boy lamenting having been ditched by the
"Life Of The Party." "She's so busy making friends
she forgot all about me," he whines, capping quite a sorry
song cycle about the wallflower who feels sorry for himself.
Musically, they may not break the mold, but Zen Boy and Karma
Girl (both liner notes and band Web site are mum on their real
identities) share their pretty voices in Carpenters-worthy
harmonies. The only instrumentation on most of the album is Zen
Boy's acoustic guitar and a tambourine.
Granted, it's hard to make folk-pop particularly unique or compelling.
Any given night a folk duo may play Simon And Garfunkel covers
in your neighborhood coffee shop. On the other hand, most of them
aren't trying to pass themselves off as wayward human-like aliens
on a cartoon stage.
-Steve Graham
Track listing:
1. Copy
2. Two Monkeys
3. There Won't Be
4. Keys
5. Yeah Yeah
6. Wonder Woman
7. And I Lost
8. Madison
9. Love, Love, Love
10. Life of the Party
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Zen
Boy And Karma Girl
