The band admits to a welter of influences and incorporates even more than they cite: Dan Hicks, B-52s, Martin Mull, Jimmy Buffett, swing, mambo, calypso, pop, jug, even a brief Mersey intro to Going Down to Delaware! Four members play guitar so it's a tad difficult to determine who's handling what from cut to cut (if ya snag the liner notes, it becomes labyrinthinely do-able), but drummer Daoud Shaw was with the original Saturday Night Live band and toured with Van Morrison and Jerry Garcia, so an indicator of the instrumental level of this band is identified through him. He also recorded the release in his home studio.

Lotsa covers and steals here: Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land", Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" and "People Will Say We're in Love" lead off. Then there's America the Beautiful—ironically, when you consider the effects of Manifest Destiny, sung in Spanish—and Oh Margaret, melodically O Danny Boy with new lyrics (and ya almost caught those high notes there, Jake), while Blasted, a great little paean to the inebriated life ("Blasted, fun while it lasted / It just lasted too long!"), starts out with Rikki Don't Lose That Number's bass signature.

King Platypus is the sort of talented highed-ended amateur band you hope to catch at the local bar & grill, where locals can quaff a few brews and dig the tunes in a boisterously communal atmosphere. Michael plays some exotic instruments (ukelele, cavaquinho, dulcimer, cuatro, mando) and is the lynchpin the rest of the players lean into, Ray Duffy and Chuck Anderson supplying more strings while Eileen Tipping drops background vocals into the mix. If you wanted a CD to tap to, sing along with, or just sit down and grin at, you've come to the right place."

C. Lizaire, thecelebritycafe.com, 8/14/06 - "Patches of peace in the midst of war, the juxtaposition of easy laughter and agonizing tears, the ironic pleasure of pain or the order of chaos: who knows exactly why the world works the way it does? One simple explanation that allows you to get through the day involves giving up attempts to make sense of everything: “life’s a mess.”

Whether or not you choose to join King Platypus and dance your worries away - that’s up for debate. But with the irresistible steel drum and calypso rhythm of their carefree manifesto and title track, “Life’s a Mess – Let’s Dance” this eclectic assembly of musicians will have you tapping your toes at the very least.

On their sophomore disc, King Platypus and friends spread more of their self-described “blue-eyed world beat.” No clue what that means? Hint: think the festive string bands of Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade, the city’s popular New Year’s celebration. Curious, but still clueless? Give King Platypus a listen and enjoy their surprising blend of “Zen, Latin-Hawaiian, surf-folk.” Patriotic highlights include the banjo-charged rendition of “This Land is Your Land” and a Spanish cover of “America the Beautiful.” King Platypus: in a word, different, but in a good way."

Spin the Globe World Music News, 10/06 - "Like the oddball critter from which their name is derived, King Platypus is an odd but somewhat compelling collection of parts. It's a little jazz, some rock, a touch of country-folk, and some ethnic instrumentation. Kind of like Brave Combo without the polkas. Songs include the jazz standard "My Favorite Things" along with a slew of originals and the curious bi-lingual "America Linda/America the Beautiful/American Cantata." I don't find [TEXT DELETED BY THE KING PLATYPUS THOUGHT POLICE], but there's a sweet sincerity to this album that can't be denied.”