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I've said it before and I'll say it again: reviewing stand-up comedy is hard. Not only is comedy utterly subjective -- I can only report on what I find funny and cannot speculate on what you may find funny -- but a lot of it is largely the same. It's people telling jokes. Some write better jokes than others. Some have stronger delivery. There are many, of course, who are incredible and have strong voices and points of view and are smart and creative; those would be my favorite comedians.

Ultimately, though, a basic stand-up review comes down to "is this set of jokes funnier than a different set of jokes?"

Then along comes someone like Maria Bamford and my job gets a whole lot easier. She is a true original; no one else sounds like her, making her immediately stand out from every other comic. There's also no middle ground with Bamford -- you can't really "take her or leave her." You either love her gift for characters and voices and her peculiar comedic sensibility or you're left totally cold by it. If you're not already familiar with Bamford, then her latest album, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome, ought to provide a good litmus test: if you're not sold within the first few minutes, there's a good chance you won't enjoy the rest of the album. If you're like me, on the other hand, you'll like the opening minutes and only find it funnier as it goes along. It's a great album.

The thing about Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome is that it's a challenging listen, requiring focus and undivided attention.

Bamford structures bits and characters that don't necessarily relate to one another; the album emphasizes stream-of-consciousness over any kind of throughline or spine. If you tune out even for a few seconds, you'll find yourself totally lost -- at least until she's onto the next bit.

If you're up for the challenge, though, Unwanted Thoughts is incredibly rewarding. Bamford -- who herself sounds like one of her characters -- works through a series of issues through bits about competition with her sister, her religious views (starring the voice of Baby Jesus), living with "unwanted thoughts" and more. My favorite characters she does are her family members; the routines centered on her mother and sister are some of the best on the album. Though many of the bits on the album feel unrelated as you're listening to them, you realize once you've gotten through all of Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome that there is an overall theme and thesis it all. There's a method to Maria Bamford's adorable madness.

I know that Maria Bamford and Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome are not for everyone, but it's so rare to actually hear a comedian doing something different with the form that we must not take it lightly. This is a truly original album -- one which can't be evaluated on whether or not the "jokes" are better than on other albums, because it provides a genuinely new experience. If you are a true fan of stand-up comedy, you owe it to yourself to seek out comedians who take chances and experiment with the form. Unwanted Thoughts is a great comedy record, featuring some of the best work from an incredibly unique voice. Actually, Maria Bamford is a whole bunch of unique voices. All of them are funny.

• Album release date: 4/21/09
• Label: Comedy Central Records
• Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome includes a bonus DVD featuring every episode of "The Maria Bamford Show" web series.