Two feuding friends doing karaoke may sound like a vision of hell. So it’s a testament to the skill of the Awkwards (Matthew Bellwood and Harriet Plewis) that they make this premise into a very entertaining show.

Matthew is the hard-hearted cynic who thinks love songs are silly ("musical mush", he sniffs). Harriet is the dewy-eyed romantic who thinks Phil (Collins) and Celine (yes, that one) really tap into the heart of the human condition. As the two to them debate the merits of love songs, they periodically break into tunes accompanied by some very funny karaoke-style videos (the one for Matthew’s rendition of 'Hounds of Love' is worth the price of admission alone). The only problem with this is that the songs usually each revolve around a single gag, so they feel like they run a bit long. But it’s the natural, witty interplay between Matthew and Harriet that really makes this work.

They also use very clever projected captions to deconstruct love songs as they listen ("the more instruments there are, the more I love you"), so there’s lots to enjoy here for the music fans. Overall, an entertaining hour for the cynic and romantic alike.

CBC
Rating: Four Bars
Reviewed by: Joff Schmidt