ThxSoMch and Flawed Mangoes Evoke a Sonic Memory in "Sound of You Laughing"
Photo: Jimmy Fontaine
Canadian alt-rocker ThxSoMch masterfully fuses the sonic essence of '90s alt-rock with a contemporary twist in his latest single, "Sound of You Laughing." Joined by Flawed Mangoes, this unique blend, steeped in nostalgia, creates a sound that is both rebellious and unrestrained. Each line, delivered with a poignant twinge of pain, transforms the act of revisiting the past into a powerful emotional journey.
The single opens with a hypnotic guitar riff, masterfully crafted by Flawed Mangoes, strong bass lines, and vocals that possess a soft yet punchy quality. The singer-songwriter croons over the fuzzy production, each word dripping with emotional depth, "The sound of you laughing / I think I heard it in this nightmare I'm having/ Can you come save me from this nightmare I'm having? / There's like a million other people in the world / Half are girls, but you're the only girl that I'll be having." He begs to die now so that he can lie by her side and dream of and with her forever, finding peace only in her, as the nightmare that his life sends him into a tailspin.
"I recorded it the next day and couldn't stop listening to it," ThxSoMch shares. "It sat on my computer for a while until I revisited it with grayskies while making more music. 'Sound of You Laughing' is both comfort and discomfort."
The accompanying heartfelt video was created uniquely, built around the concept of looking at old photographs. ThxSoMch is seen hanging out in the middle of the night at a playground with two children playing, and trying to comfort him as he deals with the weight of his emotions, as the undeniably captivating guitar riff plays on.
On the video, director and frequent collaborator Tommy Kiljoy recalls, "The whole goal was to nail that super specific feeling: that liminal nostalgia you get from seeing old playground photos. We really wanted to bottle that up in the visual. We played around with all these exterior lights to match that sound, I'm genuinely so in love with how this video turned out; it just perfectly clicks with the song's energy."
Watch the "Sound of You Laughing" video below: