Album Review: Andrew Johnston, A Special Place in Hell

Andrew Johnston holds nothing back on this album. Andrew is a comic who has such a distinct comedic ability its source can not be determined, but it is plentiful. 

An alumnus of Toronto’s long running absurdist contemporary show Laugh Sabbath, for years Johnston would get up to some high energy, not to mention themed, antics one Thursday a month, usually with references to Y2K pop music, reading celebrities to filth, or executing one of the aforementioned themes. No matter how bonkers, audiences found their way on board.

His latest record A Special Place in Hell is a tidal wave of energy. It zips and yells into all the corners of this extremely brilliant and speedy mind. It is clear some of his absurdist Canadian sensibilities have been influenced by the L.A underground conversational style, specifically a bit about attending a yoga class with a child actor. It is simultaneously a name drop and a complaint. Making fun of kids famous or not is a hard sell and it should be. 

The record has an impressive and vast amount of topics. Johnston somehow makes you feel as if he is simultaneously hitting on and rejecting himself. Inflated declarations of self love wedged in between accounts of failed social media concepts. He acknowledges the pandemic happened but avoids any of its tired comedy cliches, rather he takes us on a truly strange dark riverside path where his hit list level fanboy devotion could be aimed toward a group of local news delinquents. 

Andrew is an engaging performer, a superstar dynamo that makes it all look so easy. He is everyone’s gay best friend who doesn’t even like you (and you love him all the more for it.)  This record is a sour apple candy for the ears . . . the sweet sting is enjoyable. 

A Special Place in Hell was released February 4, 2022. Listen to it here.