Jazz Hands: Nellie McKay

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WHEN LOOKING AT NELLIE MCKAY, it's easy to think her million dollar smile serves to conceal her acid tongue.

Blonde and apple-cheeked, McKay has cultivated a following over the course of two albums thanks in part to her pointed sense of humor, outspoken politics and chatty live shows. The dichotomy between her traditional, piano-driven melodies and her often dark, caustic lyrics give listeners a fresh take on both.

The opening track to her new album, "Obligatory Villagers," features an icily delivered, sarcastic rant called "Mother of Pearl." "Feminists don't have a sense of humor," McKay coos over her piano and brushed drums. "Feminists just want to be alone / Feminists spread vicious lies and rumors / They have a tumor on their funny bone."

The former stand-up comic insists comedy and music can be a potent combination.

"A good stand-up act is like music as well, in that it needs to have a good rhythm and a sense of timing," she said. "There are some frat boys in the audiences, occasionally, that go, 'Yeah, those feminists really should get a sense of humor!' You can't win them all."

McKay comes to the Birchmere on Thursday to promote "Villagers," her third album. The venue has become her regular stopping point in the D.C. area. When asked why she keeps coming back to the Alexandria concert hall, she denied making a concerted effort to do the same thing over an over.

"I try not to make an effort at anything," she noted dryly.

McKay's facetiousness is easy to see past, especially given the complexity and theatricality of the new record. McKay's music has always been a throwback to foregone eras, but "Obligatory Villagers" departs even further from modern pop conventions and treads on the territory of musical theater, Tin Pan Alley and old-fashioned jazz.

The album, which McKay wrote, orchestrated and produced, features appearances by a variety of prestigious guests including vocalist Nancy Reed, pianist Eric Doney, alto saxophonist Phil Woods as well as Bob Dorough, a venerable jazz singer-pianist also known as the musical director of TV's "Schoolhouse Rock" segments.

McKay described the musicians as "incredible" and added that they elevated all of the material she gave them. "I think the intimidation was part of the excitement," she said.

Numbering nine songs and clocking in at a little over 30 minutes, "Obligatory Villagers" is McKay's shortest album by far — her first two albums, "Get Away From Me" and "Pretty Little Head," were both double albums. In fact, she says the album was going to be even shorter, but she recorded a few extra songs at her record label's behest.

Due, perhaps, in part to its brevity, "Obligatory Villagers" is McKay's most consistent and unified effort to date. When complimented on the album's cohesiveness, McKay modestly expressed surprise.

"I probably intended it to be more unified than it turned out, so I'm glad you think it's all one piece," she said.

» Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria; with Carsie Blanton, Thu., 7:30 p.m., $25; 800-551-7328.

Written by Express contributor Dan Miller

Photos by Daniel Pierce Wright/Getty Images (top) and Amy T. Zielinski