Listen to Chicago Outfit Anomia Report’s Latest LP “God Laughs: Reflections on the Dark Art of Living for Another Day”

Anomia Report has emerged as a collaborative force, uniting creators, makers, and musicians with a shared history that stretches back to the depths of Chicago’s underground punk scene. Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources, including post-punk icons and heavy metal rebels, as well as the nostalgia of sugary cereals and Saturday morning cartoons, their arc began in 1985. Since then, they’ve continuously evolved, integrating new influences, tools, and techniques into their creative arsenal.

Their newly unveiled LP, God Laughs: Reflections on the Dark Art of Living for Another Day, marks a turning point in their journey. Above all, Anomia Report is driven by two things: connections and a will to create….the members of Anomia Report have never exactly aimed for fame. For the past four years, in fact, this tight-knit group has quietly released four LPs under three different monikers.

“We’ve had some questions,” says lyricist and multi instrumentalist Durak Polezny. “Why does your Spotify say ‘Ænemia Report’?” He laughs. “I don’t have a good answer. We kind of fail at branding, I guess. It’s not really what drives us.”

Musically, the record sees a return to guitar-based, heavy post punk, diverging from the production-oriented sound of 2023’s “Big Electric Remix.” God Laughs is a return to a more live-oriented sound. Lyrically, however, things take a much heavier turn and marks a significant change for the collective. In a departure from the sardonic narrative style of their previous works, “God Laughs” delves into more personal and emotionally charged territory. The album’s lyrics peel back layers, revealing the group’s raw emotions—anger, despair, and a dark, yet sometimes humorous, perspective even in the face of serious subject matter.

“We make the sounds that we’re inspired to make,” says Polezny. “And we’re inspired by each other. Sometimes those are heavy rock tracks like ‘Everyone Dies.’ At other times, they’re spacy piano tunes like ‘I Don’t Have the Words…If you are moved by something, you’ve got to get it out, right? That’s where we start. What comes next is the journey of creation.”

Lister Pew, vocalist and agent provocateur, describes the process as “the most intense artistic experience of my life.”

God Laughs: Reflections on the Dark Art of Living for Another Day is available now for purchase on Bandcamp and streaming on all platforms.

Listen below, and order here.

Their previous experimental forays during the production of The Mycelium Sessions led to more eclectic ideas for song structure and instrumentation. God Laughs: Reflections on the Dark Art of Living for Another Day presents a compelling spectrum of energy and emotion, shifting between moments of restraint and bursts of intensity. Across its eleven tracks, the album offers a fusion of bass-driven, dark alternative rock, enriched by the prominent presence of piano, jazz and Latin influences, and percussive synthesizers.

“We did a lot more production work on The Mycelium Sessions,” Polezny reflects. “It was a way to get more exposure for the Big Electric Eye songs, which we thought were great, and allow for more sonic experimentation. We wanted to turn things on their head and see what we could do.”

“In the end, we’re here trying to make things better, right?” Polezny says. “We all like to laugh. If we don’t come out of this process having created something that is enjoyable, we need to get back to work.”

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