2 out of 5

Label: Auris Apothecary

Produced by: DAS (recorded by)

I guess poetry can be kinda like standup?

The visual presentation on this 7″ is nice, but the material feels a bit weak. As suggested by my snide opening, it doesn’t quite land as spoken word, instead more like punchlines, especially opener Papacy Revealed; because the material – religious skepticism – is pretty obvious, that combo rubs me a bit the wrong way. Second track The Good News is probably the best, and closer to feeling like an original spin that’s more in a narrative realm, pitching a Boy / Girl Scouts alternative that’s recruiting for pagan rituals. However, being bookended by two more direct criticisms, it also feels slightly off-topic.

On later 7″ A View From the Pews, the recording adds a bit of depth to the material, but here, it’s very, very flat. I sense this material would work as part of a longer reading with ups and downs – on Cancel The Apocalypse, a mix of focus and the joke-like patter keep it from being an effective bit of recorded media.