In 2021, Athens’ very own alternative outfit, The Laughing Chimes, released their debut effort, “In This Town.” The album was solid, rooting back to the old roots of jangle-pop bands such as R.E.M and Pavement. Since then, the band has played shows tirelessly across the stretches of Ohio and beyond. Occasionally, new singles would sprinkle onto the band’s discography and teased a new, darker sound.
Fans no longer have to wait as The Laughing Chimes have released their tightly conceptual sophomore album, “Whispers in the Speech Machine.” The album, which dropped Jan. 31, oozes with ambition and passion.
The album begins with “Atrophy,” an amazing tone-setter. The catchy main riff introduces listeners to all the reverb and jangle fans know and love. Frontman Evan Seurkamp’s echo-infused vocals are the cherries on top.
The vocals recall the love-stuck demeanor of early ‘90s acts such as The Smiths, The Cure and Guided by Voices. All are inspirations for the band, according to an interview the Chimes did with ACRN.
“He Never Finished The Thought” draws the familiar trademarks of shoegaze acts yet turns the cliches around with a groovier sonic twist. The band teased they were going into a darker sound with the 2023 release, “A Promise to Keep.”
The song was a great early introduction to the Chimes’ public reinvention of their own sound, evolving to the goth aesthetics of The Cure, both musically and fashionably as well.
The album slows down for a deep breath with “Country Eidolism,” which completely solidifies the moody switch between albums. The song is fit with all heartfelt vocals and somber instrumentation that can most certainly make listeners shed a tear.
The track is continued by the equally tear-jerking “Cats Go Car Watching,” which is most definitely a high point on the album. It showcases a heartfelt guitar solo mixed beautifully with the soft, jangly riffs in the background. Each adds a layer of fluff for the inevitable replay of the song if a listener failed to catch it.
The end of the brief 28-minute album is marked with the last three songs: “High Beams,” “Fluorescent Minds” and “Mudhouse Mansion.” Each song continues to raise the bar one after the other.
The latter half of the album rides the high of the insane pedal configurations, fizzy bass tones and precise drumming. The vocals throughout are also very diverse as different singing styles are established across the three. The diversity of styles provides excitement and change that does create a listener burnout, providing fresh-enough changes yet still feeling closely tight in vision
The Laughing Chimes have come out with an amazingly crafted album for all the indie-heads getting over a breakup. The band reminisces over previous-century genres and stitches each together with ease. Comparing this album to the band’s debut, The Laughing Chimes are coming together musically, leaving fans anticipating whatever ambitious project comes next.
