One of the hardest balancing acts to pull off is the fine line
\nbetween humor and social commentary that is usually known as
\nsatire. There is a small but incandescent pantheon of truly
\nbrilliant satirists: Swift, Voltaire, Tom Lehrer, early
\nSaturday Night Live<\/i>, the films of Christopher Guest and
\n(sometimes) Kevin Smith, Joe Bob Briggs, and HL Mencken come to
\nmind immediately.<\/p>\n
American folk singer Tom Smith has always threatened to break
\nthrough into elite company like this, but for one reason or another
\nhis past efforts have fallen into the ‘not quite’ category. He’s
\nbeen good, but he’s never been great. At least, not until now.<\/p>\n
Because his latest CD,
\nAnd They Say I’ve Got Talent<\/i>, is a poisoned poniard in a
\njester’s costume, alternating between biting and gut-wrenchingly
\nfunny. The World’s Fastest Filker (who has been known, literally,
\nto write a funny song on an audience-chosen topic while being timed
\nwith stopwatches) has gone beyond himself into something more. I’m
\nnot quite sure where he goes from here, but I bet it’ll be fun.<\/p>\n
\nATSIGT<\/i> is well produced, spare and simple; Smith doesn’t go
\nfor obviously complex arrangements or musical stretches. He is a
\nsinger\/songwriter, with the elegance common to the best examples of
\nthat breed. Where there are instrumental fillers, they’re well
\nchosen; I particularly like the marching band sounds on “Trans Poly
\nU Fight Song” (referencing the truly brilliant Phil Foglio comic
\nstrip
\nGirl Genius<\/i>).<\/p>\n
The gold is the songs. “And They Say I’ve Got Talent” is a
\nbiting, vicious, funny and sad look at the music industry’s
\nmanufactured divas, specifically (quoting from the liner notes) “in
\nparticular the one whose name rhymes with Canessa Varlton.” When
\nSmith sings “I’ve got a whole bunch of press releases, smiles, and
\nevening gowns \/ To hide the fact that my songs are Tori Amos
\nhand-me-downs” it’s winceworthy — Smith is singing what a lot of
\nus have thought and never said out loud. I know I’ve thought
\nit.<\/p>\n
“The Illuminati Polka” is split-your-side funny, a musical
\nsalute that manages to make conspiracy theory and paranoia cheery
\nand danceable. “Dark Country” is chilling, “The Ballad Of Rupert”
\nis both hilarious and oddly sad, and “Rich Fantasy Lives” should
\nimmediately be adopted as the official anthem of geeks, freaks, fen
\nand misfits everywhere — a group I proudly count myself as part
\nof.<\/p>\n
\nAnd They Say I’ve Got Talent<\/i> would be easy to pigeonhole as
\nfannish music, as just another folk or humor CD, but it would all
\nbe wrong. What it is is brilliant and worth checking out.<\/p>\n