Uneasy Laughter

Description

Cutting guitars, powerful drums, all enhanced by a touch of pop songwriting finesse. Moaning raises the bar and delivers indie rock of the highest order! What happens when an abrasive rock trio swaps its guitars for synths, speeds up the rhythms, and turns its attention to the everyday anxiety of being a mere human in the 21st century? The answer is Uneasy Laughter, the sensational second album by Los Angeles-based Moaning. Singer/guitarist Sean Solomon, bassist/keyboardist Pascal Stevenson, and drummer Andrew MacKelvie have been friends and co-conspirators in L.A.’s fertile DIY scene for more than a decade. The band’s first album, released in 2018, featured songs mostly written in rehearsal or already complete. It was acclaimed by Pitchfork, Stereogum, and the Los Angeles Times, which noted that “Moaning creates anguished music for an increasingly nervous local scene.” On Uneasy Laughter, they took on both personal and universal challenges by speaking about their feelings and channeling those emotions through their music. “We’ve known each other forever and we’re very comfortable trying to express where we’re at. A lot of bands aren’t that close,” according to MacKelvie.