Album Review: Cathryn Naiker, I’m Your #1 Dad

Cathryn Naiker is certainly no stranger to making people laugh. Comedy writer and comedian, she is one of the writers for Run the Burbs, and previously for This Hour has 22 Minutes. She recently released I’m Your #1 Dad, her latest hilarious album of stand up material earlier this year. 

Naiker is biracial of Caucasian and South Asian descent. She begins her set by informing her audience that she happens to be the whitest member of her family, “all my family photos are just a bunch of beautiful Brown people and Wednesday Addams, for some reason”, thus making her relatable to the BIPOC and biracial community. As comedy has proven time and again, nothing brings people together better than being able to find humour in a shared struggle.

Her approach to her stand up is brilliantly sassy and at times cutting in a way that enables her audience to immediately warm up to and love her. When she jokes about bracing for that awkward, cheese grater moment during a pedicure - and if you’ve ever had your feet done , you know what she means - and having the pedicurist remark “I know, I haven’t been touched in a while, too”, everyone collectively felt that. 

As is now an understandably trend among comedians, Naiker discusses her experiences about being in therapy. For what is therapy for other than discussing father issues, making you hyper aware of your own pitfalls, and fuelling stand up material? It was quite revealing how I was able to sympathize with her, in particular when she discussed being made aware of her personal battles without learning how to fight them. 

Listening to I’m Your #1 Dad reminds me of listening to that one storyteller friend that everyone has - that friend who unleashes every wild, winding, frantically chaotic story after a few tequilas. You know following along and trying to keep track is a rollercoaster ride - not sure where you’ll end up and there will be loops - but damn do you enjoy the journey. 

I’m Your #1 Dad was released May 30, 2022.
Listen to it here.