There’s no better day than Friday, the 13th to release a comedy/music album! I have not a superstitious bone in my body, so I’m incredibly excited to tell you about the follow up to the 2019 Fog and Lasers The Album. Fog and Lasers 2, now out on Comedy Records, is a collaboration between Toronto musicians and comedians. The incredible album features Feurd Ian Robertson Moore (The Elwins), Alex St.Kitts (Alexander Saint), Morgan Waters (Weaves, The Amazing Gayl Pile), Dave Dalrymple (Wax Atlantic), Tyler Kyte (Dwayne Gretzky), Lydia Persaud (The O’Pears, Dwayne Gretzky), Jill Harris (Illyin Pipes, The O’Pears, Dwayne Gretzky), Gwynne Phillips (The Templeton Philharmonic, Ghost BFF, The Amazing Gayl Pile), Ian Docherty (July Talk, Dwayne Gretzky), Adam Hindle (Dwayne Gretzky), Al Val (Just For Laughs), Simeon Abbot (YSSY, Dwayne Gretzky), Anh Phung (Dwayne Gretzky), Rich Knox (Danko Jones, Dwayne Gretzky), Evany Rosen (New Eden, Baroness Von Sketch), Pat Thornton (Dumb Phone Calls, Hot Box, The Sketchersons), Chris Robinson aka Logan Lee (Just For Laughs), Nick Rose (Dwayne Gretzky, Teen Ravine), Daniel Fernandez-Stoll, Jordan Armstrong (Second City, Improv Karaoke), Jake Koffman (Improv Karaoke), Devon Lougheed (Skye Wallace), Miguel Rivas (Tony Ho, The Beaverton), and Dan Beirne (Fargo, The Twentieth Century). WOW, how could this album not be amazing!? And, YES, it was necessary to list all the credits.
The album was written and recorded this spring and summer under shared pandemic circumstances. The 12 tracks offer hilarious observations about the most innocuous of quarantine behaviors (“F*** A Little Cereal Up”) to the most dangerous (“Piece of Sh** Joggers”) and flamboyant (“So Wretch,” “I.K.I.E. – I Know It Exists,” “Investment Banker”). The album is infused with multiple musical genres, like pop, metal, and hip hop, which play beautifully with one another. Heck, there’s even a Spanish tune that may require some translation, but you can handle it (“Amigo”). Just wait til you figure out what it all means!
If I had to choose my favorite tracks from Fogs and Lasers 2, one would be the viral hit “Piece of Sh** Joggers” where the listener is confronted by a familiar pandemic situation. I’m sure by now you’ve had a run in with an overzealous jogger who has gotten a little too close for comfort. Heck, “it’s not like there’s a killer virus outside” or anything. I guess no pain (in the arse), no gain? My second pick of the album would have to be “Venom 2 Trailer.” This track may be a bit more niche, but it sang to the inner geek in me. If everything had gone as planned, we’d have already known how Venom: Let There Be Carnage was connected to the Spider-Verse. We’d be having more dreams about Tom Hardy. The track reinforces the fact that fans still won’t be gifted with a simple Venom 2 trailer. For the love of all things nerd, can we at least get that in 2020? If we have to watch one more fan created teaser trailer, there’s gonna be bad wig hell to pay.
Alright, seek out this album on all streaming platforms because it will put you generously closer to the normalcy we all covet in 2020. Happy listening!
Mentions: Fog and Lasers 2 is available on Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music and more. This album was produced by Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll and Chris Reineck. Comedy Records is Canada’s first record label dedicated to releasing stand up and sketch comedy albums.