Mike Birbiglia
“Sleepwalk with Me (Live)”
(Comedy Central)

Though he’s a comedian by trade, Mike Birbiglia’s knack at storytelling has been a good launching point to allow him to transcend from doing bits to a fully realized oratorical essayist, so much so that not only has he performed stand up on the late night TV circuit, but he’s also been the sitting-on-the-couch guest, as well as a featured entity on NPR shows like This American Life and Selected Shorts.

“Sleepwalk with Me” is the recorded version of his live show of the same name, which he toured on last year, as well as the companion to his book of the same title.

Compared to the actual live performance, the audio recording is an abridged version, though for someone who hasn’t seen the show, the spirit of “Sleepwalk” is contextually sound. Unlike his previous recording, “My Secret Public Journal,” Birbiglia’s hour-plus story has several dramatic moments of self-realization and poignancy, though they’re executed in a way that highlights the humorous and absurd viewpoints that he sees them in.

“Sleepwalk with Me” is a solid enough recording to use as an introductory piece for someone who hasn’t heard Birbiglia before, and who knows? You might even get a simultaneous tear and chuckle out of that person.

— Ryan Pangilinan