Smarts and laughs

The best comedy albums of the year made us bust a gut, but also think

Comedy feels especially important during difficult times, not merely as escapism from the news cycle but as a way to make sense of life’s contradictions and absurdities.

The best comics are truth tellers, unafraid to push the boundaries of what’s acceptable and speak their minds.

Here are 10 who more than fit that description. Their albums are available to stream or purchase from all music platforms.

1. Nikki Payne, Performative

Three-time Canadian Comedy Award winner Payne has kept a lower profile since leaving Toronto for Shediac, N.B., more than a decade ago. That distance, and getting older, have given her material a new focus, depth and resonance as she discusses dealing with her aging parents, mental health issues and her awkward sex life, all delivered with honesty, candour and gutbusting (the final track recounts a colonoscopy) humour.

2. DeAnne Smith, Chiweenie in a Tank Top

Once based in Montreal and Toronto, the agender, a.k.a. gender-neutral, Smith now lives in L.A., but I still think of them as part Canadian. And besides, a couple of this album’s best jokes reference their ties here; one surreal but uplifting one is set on a plane from Toronto to L.A., while another chronicles their sarcastic inner voice at a dinner party thrown by astronaut Chris Hadfield. But their funniest track involves meeting “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm at a bar, which caused the comic’s poise and clarity to be momentarily, and hilariously, put on pause.

3. Paul Thompson, Horny

Like the orgiastic scene Thompson himself painted as his cover art, much of the material on this album is NSFW . But whether he’s discussing the differences between sex and making love, how he wishes he could bet on news events the same way he does sports outcomes, or a “reverse catfish” scenario, Thompson is utterly, completely himself. And it’s gloriously cathartic.

4. Andrew Barr, Pursuit of Haplessness

As he’s been chronicling on his Instagram account, Barr just passed the one-year-sober mark. Part of that journey is recounted in the first half of this double album, which includes brutally honest confessions about rehab and some of the wild adventures he got up to while drunk or high. In the other half, he proves he’s a shrewd observer of urban life, whether it’s deconstructing a special at Hooter’s, describing life after pandemic lockdowns or praising gas station egg salad sandwiches.

5. Kevin Banner, Heavy Favourite

A few years ago, Banner made headlines as the first comic signed to rock star Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records label. In this confident followup on another label, he more than fulfilled that promise. Whether he’s weighing in on bad tattoos or anger issues, joking about being a new dad or trying not to intimidate women on sidewalks at night, he’s got a smooth, effortless delivery that belies how carefully his jokes are crafted.

6. Logan Brown, Black Man White Privilege

It takes a while for the mixed-race Brown’s act to heat up, but once he hauls out his guitar and begins singing — he was a working musician before moving to comedy — his album blasts off. Most of the songs are too raunchy to describe here (one involves bestiality), but his great pipes, clever lyrics and selfdeprecating manner make his jokes feel breezily accessible. His most popular tune involves that second burger he quickly scarfs down before bringing his takeout order to his girlfriend. Delicious.

7. Melanie Dahling, Greetings From the Big City

Winnipeg-born Dahling brings a freshness and beguiling sarcasm to her material about moving to Toronto and being broke. She cleverly plays with the audience’s sympathy, and isn’t afraid of revealing truthful facts about aging, death and being underemployed. Given the right opportunities, she could become a first-rate character comic like Kristen Wiig.

8. Mike Rita, Live in Toronto

The bulk of Rita’s album draws on his Portuguese immigrant parents, who attempt to follow the Raptors, take edibles and watch porn on their phones — all with amusing results. Like Russell Peters and Elvira Kurt before him, his jokes about them are funny because they’re truthful and filled with affection.

9. Chuck Byrn, Pounding Fatties

They say comedy is a young person’s game, but Byrn, the most mature standup on this list, just keeps getting better. His material about surviving the early days of the pandemic is some of the best I’ve heard anywhere. Relationships, fatherhood, visiting the U.S.: Byrn covers them all in his signature laid-back style.

10. Meg MacKay, Clown Baby

A couple of years ago, I reviewed MacKay’s debut album and concluded she hadn’t yet found her voice. I’m pleased to say she now has and it’s quirky, endearing and sharply observant. The Torontobased queer comic draws on her P.E.I. upbringing to bring a fresh perspective to topics like body image, dating and — in her brilliant closer — a particularly absurd situation while working at the Toronto International Film Festival.