Less Is Moore

Whitest Kids U'Know member strikes out solo with comedic musical album, to mixed effect

By Michael Shashoua / Jester Editor-In-Chief

Possibilities emerge for Trevor Moore, a prominent focal point of the sketch comedy group Whitest Kids U’Know, with a debut solo sketch and music album, “Drunk Texts to Myself,” to be issued by Comedy Central on March 26.

Moore’s work does have some of the uneven nature that Whitest Kids suffered from, but there are a few highlights, especially when he takes Weird Al Yankovic as inspiration. The tracks here don’t venture completely into note-for-note parody of pop hits but do carry the same sensibility. “Help Me,” for one, is sung in the voice of a teen idol character supposedly controlled and effectively imprisoned by his managers into performing music.

“Time For Guillotines” applies a “We Are The World” lyrical template to comment on the current US political gridlock, and benefits from supporting vocals led by Connie Petruk, a dynamic singer who features in the Loser’s Lounge tribute revue shows in New York. The various singers on the track possess different styles, also adding to the “We Are The World” template of cramming in multiple stars each singing a line or two.

Petruk appears on two other tracks, and her presence is a good indicator of what material is going to be better on Moore’s album. “God Hates The Tips [Explicit] God Hates The Tips” also carries a strong set of comedic lyrics to boot, and “Founding Fathers Rap” acts a companion piece to “The Pope Rap (Modern Day Profit).” These two rap tracks also are among the better bits from Moore – on target, well produced and cutting rap commentaries about their title subjects.

But there is some chaff in Moore’s work, and it’s problematic. “Tom Hanks Is An Asshole” is a dark and bizarre misfire, as is the title track of the album, “Drunk Texts to Myself,” graced by none other than the inexplicable darling of other entertainment critics, Reggie Watts (see review, 5/17/10). Where Petruk’s presence is a sign that something is worth a listen, Watts’ presence signals the opposite.

With this comedy and music album, Moore’s batting average is probably a bit higher than the work of the Whitest Kids, which could be equally scattershot. While .500 might be great in baseball, in this ballpark, it’s cause to just pick and choose individual tracks.