Tim Minchin

Musical comedy is a tough nut to crack: Combining toe-tapping melodies with snort-out-loud laughs isn’t an easy feat. More often than not, the final outcome is more clever than funny. There are exceptions, of course, like Flight Of The Conchords, but Aussie pianist Tim Minchin is no exception. Dressed like Russell Brand’s pirate cousin, Minchin’s shtick involves tickling the ivories and crooning—in a Michael Stipe voice—love songs equating his partner to a case of glaucoma. Still, Minchin’s tunes do work a lot better as straight songs than they do as comedic gold. His style comes off as heartfelt, almost silencing the absurd lyrics. Once listeners get past the vocals, the writing will more than likely keep the laughs limited to the occasional under-the-breath “that was funny” utterances.  

Updated 05/31/2011