Following up on 2007's debut EP, THE DISTANT FUTURE, the full-length FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS features songs from the first season of the New Zealand musical comedy duo's HBO series. Only the brilliant Barry White parody, "Business Time," is duplicated from the EP, although two of its live songs, "Robots" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" (featuring the surefire come-on "You could be a part-time model/But you'd probably have to keep your normal job"), are given the full studio treatment.

What makes FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS better than either the average television soundtrack or the average musical comedy album is that even aside from the sharp wit and often hilarious lyrics (see: "A Kiss Is Not A Contract" and "Ladies of the World"), singers and multi-instrumentalists Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are genuinely gifted pop songwriters able to craft tuneful, memorable songs in a variety of styles. The genre parodies here, from the gibberish bossa nova "Foux da Fafa" and the deadpan rap clich‚s of "Hiphopoptamous Vs. Rhymenoceros" to the note-perfect impersonations of the Pet Shop Boys ("Inner City Pressure") and David Bowie ("Bowie"), are more than catchy enough to stand on their own.

Taking the torch from Tenacious D and then taking 14 songs from the first season of their HBO series (plus a 15-second outro), Flight of the Conchords' first full-length release for Sub Pop is a strong serving of songs from the dynamic deadpan duo. Unfortunately, since the show included a few songs per episode, 11 of the songs didn't make it past the cutting-room floor, and gems like "If You're Into It," "I'm Not Crying," and "Sello Tape" got the axe, along with the character dedications and motivations "Cheer Up, Murray," "Song for Sally," and "Bret, You Got It Going On." It's forgivable, though; a double-disc set of every song would have been overkill, and most of the favorites make the cut on the CD. Fans still get the neo-soul ballad "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," the hip-hop attempt "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymnocerous," the psychedelic acid trip "Prince of Parties," the dancehall anthem "Boom," and the French pop lullaby "Foux du Fafa." While New Zealander dry humor and matter-of-fact delivery are huge parts of the duo's allure, their adherence to their own style within a variety of genres is the icing on the cake, and to quote Bret's reaction to the stranger who is denied while trying to sell a cake at a pawn shop, "It's a beautiful cake." With each song, they expand their range, paying homage with the strictest attention to details only music geeks will appreciate, be it the Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" instrumentation in "Think About It," the Radiohead "Fitter Happier" vocal impersonations in "Robot," the Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" similarities in "Inner City Pressure," or the many, many faces of David Bowie in "Bowie." Versatility is their strength, and they show it off well. If they weren't great songwriters, lines like "Sometimes my lyrics are sexist/But you lovely bitches and hoes should know I'm trying to correct this" and "The manager Bevin tries to abuse me/Hey man, I just want some Muesli" might provide short-term laughs, but the music is clever and catchy enough to give it merit for repeated listens. Buy the DVD first to get the full story and then pick this up for road trip singalongs. ~ Jason Lymangrover

Uncut (p.95) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Multi-instrumentalist Bret McKenzie possesses a musical gift commensurate with his comedic talent..."

Q (Magazine) (p.138) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement are indeed funny, but over the course of an album they're musical enough to withstand repeated plays."