Album Review: Desirée Walsh, Everybody Panic

Full disclosure: I have had the pleasure of knowing Desirée Walsh and watching her grow as a comedian for the last five years. I have been in awe of her work ethic and integrity in the face of the inaccessibility of the Toronto Comedy scene. Nobody has embraced the virtual comedy landscape that arose during the pandemic, and since, as vehemently as her. As a result, this review is unapologetically biased; sorry, not sorry.

I have long held the flawed belief that truly good comedians are rarely truly good people. This is the first of many rules Desirée Walsh breaks in her debut album, Everybody Panic. Throughout the album, Desirée playfully over-explains punchlines, sympathizes with Karens, and delivers a spicy hot take on the pandemic.

Desirée brings her loveable scamp persona in full force on this delightfully quirky album proving that, while her wheelchair is not an edgy prop, she is wholly committed to the bit that it comes with. The comedian carries her audience through the woes of working in a bank, being a disabled twin, discovering America, and falling for psychics. 

Flexing on her experience as a virtual comic, Desirée also brings a rare quality of universality and relatability to her otherwise niche material. As a comic with her own lexicon, such as utilizing the term walkies™ - her trademark slur for those of us who need to get around on our meat legs™ - who relies heavily on her unique lived experience, she frames her jokes with a curiosity and perspective that invite each listener along for the ride.

At just under 30 minutes, this album feels like just the right length. The album’s standout tracks (“Wheelchair Basketball”, “Karen”, and “Still Can’t Walk”) are joined by perfectly timed callbacks and self-referential jabs, and sprinkled with memorable moments of absurdity. Overall, Everybody Panic is an enjoyable and inoffensive album from start to finish, presented by someone who very obviously loves what she does.

Everybody Panic was released March 6, 2023 on Howl & Roars Records.
Listen to it here.