Kirby Krackle’s new album (Sounds Like You) explores the kooky tendencies of the nerd heart.
A couple years ago, while attending the very first C2E2, I was wandering the floor and perusing merchandise. Not surprisingly, one of the booths that will always stick with me is Kirby Krackle’s. All I remember is two guys telling me they were in a nerd-rock group as they handed me a business card. After the super-powered shrapnel of the con cleared and I had returned home from a weekend in the city, I started poking through all the post-cards, business cards, and other free con swag I had acquired. When I found a free moment to check out Kirby Krackle’s music, I was immediately hooked. I mean, they had a ukulele song about the zombie apocalypse as well as a badass rock song about being Green Lantern. Who wouldn’t be hooked?!
Since then, I’ve been collecting all of Kirby Krackle’s music that I could, so it goes without saying that I’ve been anxiously anticipating the release of their fourth album, Sounds Like You, which dropped this week!
[one_half last=last]
a bunch of catchy pop-rock ballads appealing to one’s inner nerd
[/one_half]
Sounds Like You, I would have to say, is exactly what I expected: a bunch of catchy pop-rock ballads appealing to one’s inner nerd. The abundant amounts of goofiness also remain quite apparent on this album. And it gets goofy!
The album starts with a heartfelt note on the track “Parachute,” a song relating the repeated salvation of a damsel in distress by a hypothetical superhero to the unconditional support one experiences in a healthy relationship. As far as whether this song has a more specific premise in the comic book realm, I remain unsure (admittedly knowing this might make me a bad nerd). Anyway, after that track, the shenanigans begin.
[one_half] The second track is “Set Your Phasers to Sexy.” You can see where this is headed. It’s a fun, poppy song about sexy-time with whichever nerd is close to your heart, all while infusing as many pop-culture references as possible into the tune. Up next come songs like “Cozy Pants O’Clock” and the band’s tribute to finding love on Twitter, “140 Characters.” You can tell that Kirby Krackle has taken notice of their fans’ favoritism of some of their sillier tracks from previous albums, like “Booty Do Math” and “The Great Lakes Avengers.” [/one_half] [one_half last=last]
I dare you to try not to start singing along
[/one_half]
My two favorite songs on Sounds Like You are probably the next two: “One More Episode” and “Grandma’s House.” “One More Episode” romanticizes those nights of watching marathons of our favorite television shows with that special someone. (By the way, if you get the chance, check out the entertaining lyric video for this song that features fonts of many well-known television programs. While reading along with the song you’ll be trying to guess every show’s logo the band utilizes to spell out the lyrics). See for yourself:
Besides other fun, light-hearted songs on the album like “Take You Out Tonight” (a romantic request to take your crush on a date) and “Taco Night” (obviously a tribute to tacos), two songs that really stick out are “Cosplay Queen” and “The Same Thing.”
“Cosplay Queen” is more than just a song about the loving relationship between cosplaying sweethearts. Intriguingly, the song shows support of same-sex relationships with lines like,“You can be my cosplay king and I can be your king.” With the band’s timely endorsement of this issue, and with DOMA being recently recalled, one can see how songs like this could serve as nerd rock’s anthem celebrating America’s eventual complete acceptance of same sex relationships. This sentiment is thoroughly enforced on the track “The Same Thing,” which expresses the fact that love is real whether it is between a straight or gay couple.
Wait, did this goofy nerdy band just go ethical?! I think so! That is what I find so refreshing about this album; within the midst of off-the-wall songs expressing everyday nerdiness, you can still find relatability and meaning.
The final three songs on this album exhibit what Kirby Krackle does best: character songs. Since their inception, Kirby Krackle has been making songs about their favorite characters, series, and games from pop-culture. “Web-Slinger Hope Bringer” is about your friendly neighborhood Spiderman; “Moisture Farm” is a drinking song telling the story of Star Wars from the point of view of Luke Skywalker; and “North of The Wall,” the energetic raw rock homage to Game of Thrones round the album off.
Overall, I find Kirby Krackle’s new album quite satisfying. If you want to hear a mix of catchy pop and energetic rock tracks exploring the kooky aspects of nerd life while also allowing for heartfelt undertones to engross the music, then this album really does “sound like you.”