The Muskrats' deadpan parodies of Kingston Trio-era folk are so dry and note-perfect that it would be easy to get through half of Hootie's Hootenanny without understanding that, yes, this is a comedy album. Toe-tapping beats, earnest harmonies, cheesy geetar strummin'--head 'Rats Tom Freeman and Jay Rosen are well-versed in each, and at this point in their long career, they've moved so close to the real thing that they dovetail perfectly with the pleasant little world of whitebread folkies. Heck, perfervid covers of Bob Gibson's big-hearted country blues "2:19" and the stylized revival song "There's a Meetin' Here Tonight" wouldn't sound out of place at the Madison Folk Festival.
Which isn't to say that Hootenanny is never audacious or just this side of insulting. A big part of the Muskrats' charm is their ability to mock the crap out of junky cultural artifacts, and they're at their shit-grinning best on Grandpa Jones' "The Bald Headed End of the Broom" and their own leadoff cut, "Hootie and the Blowfish Were a Helluva Band." Talk about laughing yourself sick, these tracks alone are funnier than an entire season of "The Drew Carey Show." Who would have guessed that a couple old post-punkers could make straitlaced folking so much fun? Guess it really is hip to be square sometimes.
