Album Review: Travis Lindsay, Killed At The Funeral

Playwright Rachel Ganz said “if all you see are accidents, then you might be a great writer.” In regards to comedian Travis Lindsay, while he may find himself at the centre of unfortunate (or downright absurd) situations, his worldview, charm, and wordplay have given way to a collection of strongly written comedic stories found on his second album Killed At The Funeral. 

In this album, the main themes Lindsay explores revolve around relationships (Beautiful Couple/ The Subway Story, Diet Coke), friendships (That’s What Friends Are For/Poop Story, Mitchell, Killed At The Funeral: For Andrew), and racial tensions (Aunt Jemima, The Confederate Flag, M.L.Cake, All Lives Matter). The strength of Lindsay’s narrative-based premises is that he does not rely on the plot to overwhelm the story, but rather crafting jokes at each beat within the story that are not only funny, but also allow the listener to process a richer comedy experience.

Lindsay’s material is at its strongest in the track Killed At The Funeral: For Andrew. Lindsay delves into personal subject matter while being transparent about his feelings and relationship with his late friend and fellow comedian, Andrew Vaughn. Lindsay navigates these heavy subjects with grace and wit (while also including a McDonald’s/sex joke) and satisfying the piece with a trademark callback closer that is both razor sharp and incredibly dark. Through the darkness, Lindsay finds light and levity to share a well-crafted premise as well as a touching tribute to his friend. 

Killed At The Funeral was released November 26, 2021.
Listen to it here.