Jack Parow has forged his image as unique, funny and outlandish. His self-titled debut was received with nothing less than amazement and praise.

But his new offering, Eksie Ou is comparatively sub-standard.

Littered with collaborations, I was expecting something new and fresh, but it’s still distinctively Parow, but this time he sounds like he’s trying too hard.

Featuring the likes of  Die Heuwels’ Pierre Greeff, Fokof’s Francois van Coke, musical comedian David Kramer, and PH Fat, it’s nice. Cool. But not cool enough.

The title track is somewhat of a rehash of Cooler as Ekke, and gets stuck in your head. After a few times, annoyingly so. Hosh Tokolosh featuring Gazelle is catchy as well and I think I would put this one on a party playlist.

Some tracks redeem the blandness, with Welkom Terug featuring Greeff’s dulcet vocals captivating from the first few bars. Hard Parytjie Hou is a keeper with Francois' hardness complementing the unbreakable feel of the song.

The rest of it can be skipped. Particularly annoying is Biscuits en Biltong with David Kramer, Afrikaans is Dood, and Laat Ons Suip.

There is no awesome ridiculousness, that Parow is loved for, though it’s trying very hard to be just that.

Rating: 4/10