Rating: ****
This latest Uproar comedy release by Jackie Monahan is called "These Lips" and it arrived in my inbox ahead of the December 14th release date. Early access! Tight.
You may recognize Jackie from "Last Comic Standing" or from winning TimeOut's Joke of the Year. Even if you don't recognize her from either of those things you should know that she is a seasoned veteran of the comedy circuit and considered a master of her craft in comedy circles.
Personally, this is my first time coming across Monahan's work and I'm excited to check it out. I don't really know what to expect other than what I've read in her one-sheet so I'm going in with fresh ears. I like that.
I'm gonna take a drive and have a listen. I'll report back as I always do after the jump.
Listen to "Ass Magic" on Soundcloud here:
Monahan wastes no time getting big laughs as the opening bit is dirty and dark and utterly hilarious. This is how you start a comedy album! The second bit is funny but it does lose a bit of steam from the raucous opener. We get right back on track and Monahan splits time between riffing on the differences in dating different genders and an incredible track called "Ass Magic" that ends on a great and unexpected pun. So funny. We continue with more solid bits that manage to be smart and filthy at the same time. Rare feat. "Anti-Rape Jokes" might be as triggering for some listeners as it seemed to be for the live crowd. She manages to traverse the murky waters before launching into a great Trump bit and maybe the funniest take on the Louis CK situation I've heard yet. Also, there's a Katherine Hepburn impression in there that gets the most unlikely applause break on the LP. The album ends with more big laughs and the closer called "Tinder" that isn't your run-of-the-mill hack take on the Tinder premise. Really fun special.
Jackie Monahan is raunchy without being crass and way more clever than 90% of the comics out there. Despite some slow spots and some bits that fall flat, this is a really funny album that has some jokes that will stay with the audience long after the record ends. I'm looking forward to more. I give this one a solid recommendation.