Rating: ****
Doug Mellard earned his comedy stripes in the comedic hotbed of Austin, Texas, where he won the prestigious "Funniest Person in Austin." in 2006, only 3 years after he picked up a mic.
He's had a ton of rad accolades, festival appearances, and also released an album on Minneapolis-based Stand Up! Records in 2015 entitled "Fart Safari". Well, it's 2018 and the highly anticipated follow-up to that debut release is here. Yes, "Fart Safari II: Fart Harder" has been released (so to speak) and ready to make you laugh so hard ya toot!
I'm gonna break Johnny's traditional track-by-track breakdown since this is comedy and I would end up giving away the entire album. So instead, I'm gonna summarize my thoughts in the best way I know how below.
Listen to "Flights" on Soundcloud here:
Doug Mellard starts this record way more animated than he ends up being throughout. It's almost as if he pulls a fast one on ya with the opening bit "Screaming". Truth is, he doesn't do a lot of screaming at all. Which is a good thing. His dry wit and skilled storytelling keep the audience and listener engaged throughout. "Flights" highlights this perfectly. "Weddings" is another highlight of the first half of the hour-long set. The best thing about Mellard, and this album, in particular, is how nothing is forced. He has a quiet confidence that allows the material to work on its own. It's also silly without being stupid and dirty without being disgusting (Ok, ok, the closer might be an exception). There's plenty of dick and fart jokes in here, but there's also plenty of self-effacing and intellectual bits here to keep it balanced.
This album comes highly recommended for lovers of dirty comedy that still has a smart edge to it. Fans of Louis C.K. (his comedy his comedy!) are gonna like it a bunch. I say grab it up. Like now.