Josh Earl is one of the new breed of unassuming comics, who aim to captivate with modest songs and modest patter about their modest lives.

He really is a school librarian, so has the right, unfashionable credentials to join this world which, ironically, is becoming increasingly fashionable. It’s a style already employed by some of the best comedians around – like David O’Doherty and Demetri Martin – which is unfortunate for Earl because, despite his undeniable charm, he just isn’t in that league. At least not yet.

All the gags you can possibly think of to do with libraries are here, even down to him assigning a Dewey Decimal System number to the theme of each song. It’s a nice touch, as is the succession of signs he’s lovingly made to indicate that the library is closed. He can write a good gag, too, although lax quality control also lets some weaker ones through in the hope that if he points out with irony how weak they are, he’ll get away with it. And you know what, he often does.

But for all its whimsy, the one-dimensional theme that he’s uncool both in his job and his life, especially when it comes to girls, does pale after the first few songs. He just doesn’t mix it up enough.

His vulnerability, book-smarts and expensively-cultivated ironic hairstyle do have a definite appeal, especially among the indie college girl demographic, but he cannot avoid suffering in comparison with the more established acts in this genre who he emulates.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Melbourne, April 2007