Weird Chicken by The Metro Gnomes

this album was a lot of fun! i recorded it with my dad in February.

Our friend wrote this album review!

The Metro Gnomes
Weird Chicken (Self Released)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reviewed by Caleb Harris Tue., Mar 1, 2016

The Metro Gnomes are definitely "feelin' it" on their debut self-released album "Weird Chicken."

From the surprisingly upbeat and catchy opening track "Melatonin" to the even more surprisingly optimistic "Sinister Icy Black Hand of Death," The Gnomes' unbridled enthusiasm invades the listener's eardrums through gentle 90s infused pop-punk choruses that are designed for singing along.

The album contains a fair amount of abstract concepts but also grounds itself with eminently relatable lyrical gems such as "counting sheep, but the sheep keep cloning." Co-vocalist Kaeta's child-like soprano is cleverly laced around Derek's steady delivery giving the listener the impression the sounds may be coming from a well-trained captured pixie dancing around the studio instead of Derek's equally well-trained daughter.

The sound of the title track is somewhat incongruous with the lyrics of the song however the father-daughter duo make it work. The duo should be applauded for the experimental track "Marty Wants In" where they tackle the existential crisis of the family dog. Is he inside or outside? Is he "technically" both at the same time? There's no doubt this track is a subtle look into a difficult conversation The Gnomes had with Marty about whether all dogs go to heaven. Weighty stuff for a first release.

Most of the album, however, is more mainstream. There's even evidence of the powerful marketing machine behind The Metro Gnomes. On the second half of the song "Weird Chicken" the chorus is sung in Spanish, which is more than just a creative dash of Spanish flare. It's well documented that 73% of chickens that listen to music over the Internet speak Spanish so this is a head nod to that audience.

If you don't smile at the bonus track "Weird Chicken (Family Style)" featuring The Tiny Giants, well, you're probably normal. But you also probably don't have kids. The Tiny Giants add to the joyful contagiousness that is "Weird Chicken" and if you aren't singing along by the end, you might need to remove the wine corks from your ears.

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