Album Review: Margaret Cho – ‘Cho Dependent’ (Clownery Records)

August 24, 2010

While Margaret Cho has dabbled in composition videos and written songs before, Cho Dependent marks the first album of composition from the Grammy-nominated comedian. Fortunately for her she is joined by a long list of huge-name collaborators. As such, each of the 14 tracks on the record are performed so convincingly that, if one doesn’t pay too close attention to what Cho is singing, it’s simple to forget to laugh. On the leadoff “Intervention,” Tegan and Sara help Cho make a mix of folk and pop not unlike that found in their own songs to back refrains like“no more hugs till you give up drugs.” The subjects of “Your Dick,” which facial appearance Ben Lee, and “Captain Cameltoe,” with Ani DiFranco, are pretty obvious by their titles, while“I’m Sorry,” done with Andrew Bird, is a country-tinged laundry list of absurd transgressions delivered with a straight face. The album is at its best, though, when the backing also takes on some comedic value, like“Gimme Your Seed,” everywhere Cho’s depiction of a trip to the sperm bank is matched with auto-tuned vocals and electro-popped backing. Nonetheless, throughout the record Cho shows that she is able to do much more than just yuk it up.