This is an outrage! Weird Al released a new record in June, and I didn’t know about it until now. Even worse, a bunch of these songs were on an even earlier EP called Internet Leaks that I also missed. What can I say, I guess I’ve fallen out of the parody rock loop since graduating from middle school.
All Weird Al nostalgia aside, Alpocalypse is a really funny record. Nothing less should be expected from the guy who has brought us such bangers as “Amish Paradise” and “White and Nerdy.” This time around, Al sticks mainly to band parodies—ripping off a band’s style as a whole, as opposed to a single song. For instance, I could swear that “CNR”, a confusing little number that I’ll get to in just a moment, features Jack White on guitar with Meg White on the drums, or that “Skipper Dan” was performed by Weezer.
Lyrically, Al’s still as strange as ever. There’s not a single track on this record that will leave you without at least a single chuckle. Sure, some songs do tend to go on for a bit too long and get a little stale, but that comes with the territory. Also, while some songs will leave you scratching your head, you’ll be laughing while you do so. For example, the aforementioned “CNR” is a song about none other than former Match Game panelist Charles Nelson Reilly. That’s not weird enough for Al, though. He describes Reilly as a Chuck Norris-like figure, who “won the Tour de France with two flat tires and a missing chain,” and “sold his toenail clippings as a potent aphrodisiac.” It’s that trademark strangeness that has made Al a hero amongst pre-pubescent boys, and no one else, since the early ’80s.
Al’s direct parodies are still as solid as ever, with the best of this record being “Whatever You Like,” a Kinko’s assistant manager’s version of T.I.’s track of the same name. The polka-medley tradition continues on this record as well, with Polkaface covering everyone from Lady Gaga to Owl City.
If you don’t enjoy yourself while listening to this album, you’re listening to it for the wrong reasons. This is perfect for cheap laughs, and it’s meant to be disposable. Knowing Weird Al, he’ll have another song out next week.
Swole Ear 
It is good you’re not ashamed to let your inner-12-year-old freak flag fly. The world is a better place with Weird Al and the polka medleys always amuse. At some point, someone should honor his longevity. He has now touched at least four or five separate generations of pre-teen boys. Long live the accordion.