18 years into his stand-up career, Vancouver’s Sean Yap Sei-Been Devlin has released his debut comedy album, ‘AIRPORTS, ANIMALS.’, on Arts & Crafts. Over the last decade Devlin’s work as a filmmaker/community organizer/prankster/political consultant and tactical media engineer has frequently garnered national and international attention. However, for Devlin it all began by taking the stage at Vancouver’s old Yuk Yuk’s comedy club when he was still a teenager. Where many stand-up comedians write from distant observation, Devlin’s material often comes from real-world interventions and politically-charged personal confrontations. ‘AIRPORTS. ANIMALS.’ is the work of a biracial comedian whose Mother was raised as a squatter in the Philippines before immigrating to Canada to escape the Marcos regime, who lives with white privilege while also enduring rising levels of anti-Asian racism. Yet, while political stand-up comedians typically express themselves through angry ranting, Devlin’s performances find him calmly recounting stories that would leave many people infuriated. From these intimate experiences Devlin produces a brand of grounded joy that is frequently absurdist, but never escapist. A timely balm for people seeking balance in the era of COVID-19 and glorified hatred.