In the realm of dark comedy, there is a certain line to observe. It doesn’t necessarily have much to do with how dark you get, but more to do with how forced or artificial a particularly sinister punchline might be. Going dark/blue for dark/blue’s sake, more often than not is not that impressive or, truth be told, all that shocking.

Lisa Curry‘s dark streak in her comedy, however, unmistakably comes from a very genuine place and she has the sharp writing to deliver it perfectly. Her debut album Alive For A While puts Curry’s verve for dark jokes impressively on display. Line after line, Curry paints furiously strokes in the imagery of her own stories and observations, but never loses the tether to her own experience making for cathartically funny bits.

Another layer that makes this debut hour more impressive is that Curry recorded it in London rather than any home club she might have her in the U.S. Going very dark for your first hour overseas is quite the feat and Curry really makes it work.

So,  please get and enjoy Alive For A While, out today, right here.