The crux of comedy, especially live stand-up comedy, is laughter from a crowded, dark room of mostly strangers. It’s that communal experience that is uplifting, affirming, and, often, healing and why many folks pay good money to see a person talk into microphone on stage. That said, comedian Greg Barris loves upping the ante on joy from just making the audience laugh with well-crafted jokes/bits.

On his latest album Deep Healing, Barris repeatedly takes audience members and validates them in plenty of different ways in front of a crowd, which seems like such a simple, small practice, but is true delightful surprise. That act is woven in between several bits that blend cleverness, silliness, and vulnerability in such candid topics as sexual kinks, America’s biggest problem, mantras, and more. True to the album title, there are more than a couple tracks entitled “audience healing” and Barris approach to what should be a more sober, spiritual affair, instead brings a lightness to the whole hour that is kind of irresistible (Greg’s down-to-earth, hip charm really helps with this as well).

As a result of listening to this album, you might just have a slight euphoric pep-in-your-step from Greg oscillating between his modern hippie subversive fun, similar to the one after you’ve felt an emotional/mental/spiritual weight lifted from you (hopefully, you’ve had such an experience already).

Greg Barris: Deep Healing is out now from AST Records here or wherever you get your comedy albums.