{"product_id":"humor","title":"Humor","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAs Tofusmell, Rae Chen (he\/they) tackles matters of miscommunication, romance, and identity with a grin. Hence the title of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, his Hardly Art debut. “Even if something is a serious subject, I tend to put a humorous spin on things,” the 23-year-old explains. Across six songs, Rae articulates wry yet earnest musings on relationships with himself and others through acoustic melodies that recall warm ’90s indie folk. Arriving after a prodigious run of self-released singles and EPs, including 2021’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFunnier in Theory\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e marks a heartfelt and evocative breakthrough.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA former creative writing major, Rae’s songs are rooted in autobiographical honesty. “Many of the songs are basically journal entries that I later revisit and put to music,” he says. “Sometimes I manipulate the wording, but other times the songs emerge exactly how I first wrote it as if I’m reading my diary to everyone.” In this sense, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a living document of intimacy, as on “Keith,” which chronicles a phone call with a faraway confidant, zeroing in on unrealized longing. At the same time, Rae refuses to sugarcoat life’s blemishes, and on the gentle “Basil Noodles,” he ruminates \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eon an “unpracticed and convoluted” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003econversation, promising to improve with practice. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe 23-year-old writes, records, and produces his songs in his Orlando, Florida, bedroom using a laptop, Logic, and a single $30 microphone. Musically, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a rich tapestry of understated arrangements that, occasionally, threaten to bubble over as on the ominous “Slip of the Tongue,” which channels Jeff Buckley at his most angsty. Elsewhere, the backtracked harmonies of “Basil Noodles” could be a lost early-2000s Sufjan Stevens cut, while “Keith” and “Younger” recall the lo-fi fuzz of sonic inspirations like Elliott Smith.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eRae’s humble setup hasn’t changed much since he started fiddling around on GarageBand in middle school, eventually gaining the courage to share his music online. Later, he began posting snippets of songs on TikTok, eventually amassing over 22k followers who are drawn to his deft strumming and ability to weave tiny moments into a larger tapestry of emotion. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn 2022, Rae displayed newfound confidence with “Shower Song,” his contribution to Hardly Art’s 15th Anniversary singles series. Touching on Rae’s relationship with his trans, queer identity, the track concludes on a note of anticipation, longing for corporeal contentment. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e’s closing track, the sparse but carefully-layered “I Can Keep Myself,” serves as a companion of sorts as Rae repeats the titular phrase like a mantra in between fixating on physical discomfort: “I am some body\/I am somebody…I can keep myself\/I can keep myself healthy.” For a moment, you’re right there with Rae, daring to care for yourself. \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"tofusmell","offers":[{"title":"Digital","offer_id":54460938879314,"sku":"dzf1788118601139","price":3.72,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1085\/6821\/5890\/files\/humor_1.jpg?v=1788118606","url":"https:\/\/www.littlecopper.shop\/products\/humor","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}