Deep inside the heart of nearly every comedian lies the desire to be taken seriously, to have folks acknowledge that they're artists and not just clowns doing silly things for laughs. It's hard to say if Bret McKenzie has ever been troubled by such thoughts, but as co-founder of Flight of the Conchords (self-described as "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo") and a guy who won an Oscar writing songs for the Muppets, one could hardly blame him for wishing more folks acknowledged the strength of his music and not just his ability to generate chuckles. Anyone who spent much time listening to Flight of the Conchords knows much of their success came from the fact their melodies were every bit as well-crafted as the funny lyrics, and it should surprise no one that McKenzie shows he's a superior pop tunesmith on his first solo effort, 2022's Songs Without Jokes. While the album certainly lives up to its name, he has avoided the temptation to deliver a set of songs that are self-consciously serious; the record is frequently witty and good-spirited without feeling the need to throw in any obvious punch lines. McKenzie has never made a secret of his love of 1970s soft rock and singer/songwriters of the era, and he allows himself to indulge his passion on these sessions. "That's L.A." could come from any number of West Coast Mellow Mafia acts from the Me Decade (and beats the Blue Jean Committee at their own game), "A Little Tune" and "This World" unashamedly tip their hat to Harry Nilsson, "Tomorrow Today" sounds like a less-snarky distant cousin of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." ("Dave's Place" comes closer to matching his lyrical sense), and "If You Wanna Go" is a letter-perfect tribute to (or parody of) Billy Joel. McKenzie's work in film and television allowed him to work with some of the best studio musicians in the business, including a few who played on the great '70s albums that inspired him, and several of them are on board for Songs Without Jokes, including guitarist Dean Parks and bassist Leland Sklar. McKenzie and producer Mickey Petralia have created an album whose craft is at the level of the music that was its obvious inspiration, while having a warm melodicism that's sincere and from the heart. The contemplation of a culture in crisis in "This World," the middle-of-the-night desolation of "Up in Smoke," and the compassion of "Here for You" show that McKenzie can write contemplative lyrics as well as his hilarious ones, and the sweet fog of his vocals is effective throughout. There was never any doubt that Bret McKenzie knew how to write a good song, and on Songs Without Jokes, he's more than capable of doing so outside of the framework of an outwardly imposed narrative or feeling obligated to make the listener laugh. ~ Mark Deming