Album #67: Moaning – Uneasy Laughter

• Released: 2020
• Origin: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Label: Sup Pop
• Best Track: Stranger

Day 5 of self-isolation, but at least there’s a bounty of new albums coming my way, with it being Friday.

Uneasy Laughter, the second album from LA’s slightly shoegazy post-punkers Moaning, was top of my list, as I really liked their self-titled debut two years ago. This is a bit of a change of sound, being synth-heavy in comparison and containing more of what you might call “tunes”.

Probably the most instantly likeable song is opener ‘Ego’, a danceable yet gloomy account of low esteem, and the pre-released single ‘Connect the Dots’ almost sounds like a coming together of Ian Curtis’ introverted lyrics and XTC’s spiky synthesisers. My favourite is the echo-drenched ‘Stranger’, with its witty, cutting, yet also self-deprecating lyrics (“I hate myself and I saw me in you”).

As per the title, an awkwardness runs through the album, which is conveyed openly and with gentle humour. I’m thoroughly enjoying this record – a step up from their debut, which was a strong album in itself.