Try Not to Laugh
| Try Not to Laugh | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 15, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Power pop | |||
| Length | 28:55 | |||
| Label | Smoking Room | |||
| Graham Hunt chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Try Not to Laugh | ||||
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Try Not to Laugh is the fourth studio album by American musician Graham Hunt. It was released on December 15, 2023, through Smoking Room, and arrives only a year after his third studio album If You Knew Would You Believe It (2022).
Background and singles[edit]
Between 2015 and 2023, a time spanning eight years, Hunt released six EPs and nine studio albums across six different projects. He also remained prolific contributing to other bands through production or live performances.[1] On August 3, 2023, Hunt released the lead single "Emergency Contact", a "summery power pop jolt" with "knockout hooks, squiggly guitar solo and toy percussion".[2] The second single of the album "Tashmere Anthill" was released on November 6. The song features a "structured looseness" comparable to the works of early Beck, including a "rubbery and melodic" bass line and a prominent "acoustic breakdown halfway in".[3] On December 11, Hunt released the eponymous third single, a song that was described as "appealing '90s-style indie rock"[4] where "big classic rock guitars" meets "occasional brass and strings".[5]
Critical reception[edit]
Lizzie Manno of Stereogum chose Try Not to Laugh as their "album of the week", revering Hunt a pioneer in contemporary "independent power pop". Hunt takes the listener on a "smart and unexpected" ride through "decades of guitar pop" without drifting off into "cloying melodies or stale lyricism". Manno opines that Hunt further proves to be a "clever writer" on the album, assembling "pleasant pop melodies" with a "a literary eye" and "late-capitalist cynicism".[2]
The staff of the Sleeping Village in Chicago thought that Try Not to Laugh was a record that showcases "breakbeats" combined with "anthemic choruses" and "synth runs go toe-to-toe with acoustic guitars" and songwriting that gets to the heart of "Midwestern guitar pop". Hunt managed to create a record that sees the songs stay "at the forefront".[6]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Try Not to Laugh" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Taste" | 3:10 |
| 3. | "Emergency Contact" | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Zoomed Out" | 4:26 |
| 5. | "Tashmere Anthill" | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Seein' the World" | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Options in Community Living 23" | 1:32 |
| 8. | "Rosemary Fabian" | 4:24 |
| Total length: | 28:55 | |
References[edit]
- ^ Spoerl, Steven (November 15, 2023). "A pair of Graham Hunt singles drum up excitement". Tone (Madison). Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Manno, Lizzie (December 12, 2023). "Album Of The Week: Graham Hunt Try Not To Laugh". Stereogum. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ Krzykowski, Brett (November 20, 2023). "Add of the Week: Graham Hunt, "Tashmere Anthill"". WYMS. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ "7 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ Deville, Chris (December 11, 2023). "Graham Hunt – "Try Not To Laugh"". Stereogum. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ "Graham Hunt (Album Release Tour) w/ Interlay, Tension Pets". sleeping-village.com. Retrieved December 14, 2023.