MC Lars - 'The Graduate'

Concerned cool big brothers and sisters would be wise to pass on MC Lars’ The Graduate to their mallrattish Hot Topic-occupying younger siblings (should any exist). What Lars lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in valid-yet-smart-alecky remarks about said chain store, the music industry and time travel. On his previous release, The Laptop EP, MC Lars managed to walk a sardonic line that merged hooks with social messages that only applied to pop-punk infatuated 14-year-olds. He continues the same vein on The Graduate, but with mixed results. Basically, MC Lars’ humor is just a tad too annoying to carry a whole full-length.

Things start promisingly enough with the single “Download This Song.” The track mixes reggae, techno and a ridiculously catchy cadre of voices singing, “La la la.” Lars comes in and starts ripping on the high-prices and low-quality of mainstream music offered by major labels, singing, “Don’t try to resist this paradigm shift. The music revolution cannot be dismissed. 18.98 Iggy Pop CD? What if I can get it from my sister for free?”

Then Jaret Reddick joins in on the major label-hating with, “Hey, Mr. Record Man, the joke’s on you.” I definitely feel like the music industry is doomed when I hear the dude from Jive Records’ Bowling For Soup, but not for the reasons he’s singing about. “Download This Song” is still infectious all the same, though.

The Graduate becomes mired down on “The Roommate From Hell,” which is about a stinky and satanic Nickelback fan. The album improves slightly on “21 Concepts,” but only because it incorporates Tetris music. Otherwise, it’s just Lars listing weird song ideas he never fleshed out. It’s almost boastful, except the whole point of this track is that he isn’t very good at finishing songs.

“Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock” is the track that needs to be played for those aforementioned bondage pants-enthusiast siblings. It features a slightly too-clean but awesomely goofy backing performance by The Matches and fairly out-of-key singing from Lars himself. Here, Lars makes some valid points about Hot Topic and the punk sub-culture.

“SpongeBob wristbands are not punk rock. Sex Pistols boxer shorts are not punk rock. The Dischord back catalogue? Okay, maybe that’s punk rock… but, Hot Topic is not punk rock,” says Lars. He then goes on to point out that money contributed to Hot Topic goes into the hands of the very-not-punk corporation, Gap, and would be better spent at DIY music venues.

A few songs of filler follow. “Rapgirl” is empty. “Generic Crunk Rap” doesn’t crack any jokes about Lil Jon that Chappelle’s Show didn’t do a thousand times better. “Ahab” introduces Moby Dick to a Supergrass sample, which is cute but not particularly compelling.

Of The Graduate’s second half, only “iGeneration” and “Signing Emo” stand out, and both were already featured on The Laptop EP. “iGeneration” recalls the same digital revolution mentioned on “Download This Song,” with a Piebald sample to boot. “Signing Emo” takes on the other aspect of “Download,” which would of course be lampooning the music industry. I also suggest playing “Internet Relationships (Are Not Real Relationships)” for pre-teen brothers and sisters, if for no other reason than to make sure they don’t ever try the awkward and stupid act of cyber sex.

“If I Had A Time Machine, That Would Be Fresh” is also interesting, but only because MC Lars advocates altering time a la The Terminator, as opposed to preserving time lines like in Back to the Future, which seems awfully irresponsible.

MC Lars’ rhymes grow to be a bit too asinine and annoying after a few listens, and he even comes off as condescending when he starts giving hip-hop history lessons on “Rapgirl” and “Generic Crunk Rap.” The Graduate needs to hit up summer school and find some things outside of mall politics and rap stats to discuss.