Flying high on the success of his bongumentary film Super High Me, along with a loyal fan base that considers him a podcast legend, comedian
Doug Benson sounds wonderfully at ease on Potty Mouth, his third and funniest album to date. Still, this might not be the greatest introduction to the man as he’s preaching to the converted at this point, but check the film or his earlier efforts, and this feels like the insider after-party, where
Doug can play it loose while among friends. Things are so loose that early on,
Benson realizes the album-listening audience is missing out on a visual joke, which becomes a long, hilarious joke in itself. In-house audience members who annoyingly post Tweets during his set spawn a brilliant six minutes where the comedian instantly confronts them, thanks to the magic of the mobile web. The trials and tribulations of being a “Known Pot Smoker” to fans who want to become smoking buddies takes up a quarter of the album, and it arguably deserves more (“I can’t say yes to that kind of proposition. It’s scary, they might be serial killers or serial rapists, or worse yet, they might not have any cereal”). For the ultimate proof, check out the winning closer “Clean or Dirty,” where the comedian mashes his dirtiest and cleanest joke together, both of which will be familiar to return guests. It’s like the ultimate Indica-Sativa hybrid, and if you dig that, you’re right at home here. ~ David Jeffries