laughingstock
Bellingham, WA | Established. Jan 01, 2016 | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
Albums rarely feel complete upon listening to them for me. Hearing "Thank You, Laughingstock" by laughingstock certainly feels complete to me. I found myself feeling satisfied at the end of the album. Their sad indie music gives me hope for the future of music in this town.
Their album doesn't necessarily sound like anything new but it is incredibly solid and well composed. I absolutely love their use of large vocal harmonies, simplistic yet catchy songwriting and story heavy lyricism.
While each of the 10 songs have some great things going on, tracks "The Ballad of Terry Sharper", "Motorboat", "Coffee" and "Jennicam", stand out among as some of my favorites. These songs in particular all have great imagery and storytelling in their lyrics and I really appreciate that.
Production sounds pretty decent as well. While I find some of the mixing questionable and think at times it can sound lackluster, the album as a whole is very easy to listen to and enjoy.
The album is nothing groundbreaking but it isn't trying to be. It seems like laughingstock are simply trying to write music they enjoy playing and I respect that. To me they strike as a talented group of musicians who know how to write some songs, turn up some occasional sadness and passionate about what they do.
-Tommy Calderon - What's Up! Magazine
Discography
Aiken Muller's Day Off - 2019
Thank You, Laughingstock - 2018
laughingstock EP - 2017
Photos
Bio
laughingstock is a Bellingham based, (predominantly) folk-rock band that formed in 2016. Consisting of Aiken Muller, Alex Lanin-Eaves, and Josh Hughes, the band is set to release their debut album Thank You, Laughingstock on July 20th through Flat Field Records. The album navigates through all three songwriters’ distinct styles while adhering to an overall sound that fits somewhere between The Shins, Wolf Parade, and Pinegrove.
All three members sing and— at various points— play drums on the album, and Muller and Lanin-Eaves both take on guitar and bass duties. Hughes, the main drummer, also plays keys throughout the album. The entire project was recorded in their home studio The Milk Bar and produced and mixed by Lanin-Eaves and Muller.
“Thank You, Laughingstock” follows the release of two singles, “Heavier” and “Whirlpool/Father’s Eyes” and an electronic EP by Muller and Hughes that was also released on Flat Field Records in 2017. The ten-track album features lyrics about revelations in a Walmart parking lot, a missed encounter with Angel Olsen, and a mysterious boat-owning girl. The arrangements span everything from spare, acoustic ballads to jangly guitar rock to ambient, spoken word breakdowns.
Band Members
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