Will Schube gets on down everytime that we hit ’em
With each subsequent internet single or album release, it becomes clearer and clearer that Open Mike Eagle’s satiric art rap isn’t meant to be that funny. The only way Eagle knows how to talk about how fucked we really are is through sardonic half-jokes; we’re only laughing because it’s piercingly true. Eagle’s so good at teetering between discomfort and a giggle fit, it’s no wonder the artwork for “Dark Comedy Comedy Morning Show” has the dude donning clown makeup. Like that poignant bit in the Dark Knight where Heath Ledger explains the origins of his character, Eagle sees the funny shit in everything. With the album’s first single, Eagle comes out and establishes who, exactly he is. Over an acoustic guitar and sporadic percussive interruptions, Eagle raps, “For those that haven’t heard of me/I’m bad at sarcasm so I work in absurdity/On that laugh to keep from crying tip.” No amount of critical words can do a better job explaining Eagle than those three lines.
While “Dark Comedy Morning Show” begins in typical Eagle fashion—laid-back, near deadpan delivery—he lets his guard down a bit as the track’s tension builds and emotion pours from his increasingly forthright delivery. He raps, “It’s dark comedy/I woulda called it black/If another dude calls me a racist I’m gonna snap/’cuz Google knows what’s in my cabinet/and Facebook logs all of my favorite sandwiches.” Eagle’s normal nonchalance is gone—what’s left is a vulnerable sounding dude who’s growing increasingly nervous and anxious. Mike’s always been willing to hide his anger and fears behind a mask of humor and satire, but his ability to so easily crystallize evils and anxieties is what makes him one of the most exciting rappers around. I really, really like funny Mike Eagle, but apparently, this shit’s just not that funny anymore.
