“Funny” music is a tough genre to exist in. Music has always served as an excellent escape – from your own personal demons or just the general daunting news of the world. But music that’s intentionally written to be amusing somehow gets filed into a “Less Than” category as it is perceived as shallow or insincere. Give yourself a gut check on your own personal reaction to hearing the names Weird Al Yankovic or They Might Be Giants to see where you land on the spectrum of feelings to amusing music.
All that is to set the scene for Ellen Angelico and her new EP, Haven’t Changed Much. It’s a handful of songs telling amusing stories or leaning into silly jokes. That’s not to say it’s entirely devoid of sincerity tho. On “She Got Married”, Angelico muses on talented friends that disappeared off the map because their heterosexuality led them to marriage and an abandonment of their potential. Harsh but not an untrue or unfamiliar tale.
If you’re paying attention, you’ve seen Angelico play with the likes of She’s a Rebel and Jasmin Kaset or making videos for Fanny’s House of Music showcasing various guitars. She can definitely shred when she wants to. Writing funny songs isn’t a lack of talent, it’s just an escape in a different way. As stated in the album credits, “It’s funny, but it’s not a joke.”