CD Review – Margaret Cho
Cho Dependent
Self-Released
Margaret Cho is a comedian that elicits either love or hatred. For me, I like her very direct (and often vulgar) humor which is why I was so intrigued by her debut album of music. Not only is her humor a little more subtle, but the music is actually really good, thanks to a number of high-profile guests.
Andrew Bird guests on the laid-back, but biting “I’m Sorry,” while Tegan & Sara help Cho with her “Intervention.” The Raconteurs’ Brenden Benson makes “Baby I’m With the Band” a perfect mid-tempo alt-country track where Cho explains her exploits with each member of the band, including how she “didn’t forget the bass/ I sat on that guy’s face.”
“Your Dick” with Ben Lee is a fantastic three-and-a-half minute Motown-esque ballad masquerading as a dick joke with the highlight, “Your dick is my BFF/ When the world ends/ It’s the only one left/ I wish I could bronze it/ It’s cool like the Fonz/ I want to sit on it.”
And yes, there is a Fiona Apple sighting! The notoriously reclusive Apple lends her luscious alto voice to “Hey Big Dog.” The song isn’t great (even though it also features Ben Lee), but getting to hear Apple again is a wonderful treat.
Cho’s musical debut isn’t anything groundbreaking except for the amount of talented help she was able to enlist. Her singing voice isn’t great, but it’s not terrible. Without the special guests, this would be largely forgettable. But Cho’s biting (and sometimes scathing) humor combined with the music, makes this better than it should be.