There’s plenty to be angry about right now, and Microcosms aren’t interested in pretending otherwise. On their debut album Crying Laughing Here With You, the Chicago rock band takes everything that frustrates them about modern society and turns it into eight tracks packed with noise, humor and genuine emotion.
Fronted by Andrew Tschiltsch alongside Bryan Emer, Jered Piepenbrink, and Ronn Richardson, Microcosms have built their identity around doing things their own way. They’ve performed at respected Chicago venues, including Metro and Empty Bottle, hosted a Bernie Sanders fundraiser that raised over $1,000 and remained closely connected to the city’s independent creative community.
That DIY spirit gives Crying Laughing Here With You much of its personality. The album tackles political dishonesty, Wall Street, healthcare, education, incarceration, and the feeling of watching systems fail ordinary people. Yet Microcosms don’t spend the entire record shouting about politics. Love, fear, anxiety, and the strange experience of simply trying to exist all find their way in too.
Then there’s “Glug Glug.” Sitting near the middle of the record, the track takes aim at corporate and government greed with a thick, sludgy sound that feels appropriately uncomfortable. Heavy guitars and a dragging intensity create a sense of pressure, almost like the song is getting increasingly fed up as it moves forward. It’s darker and heavier, yet it still carries the sharp personality that keeps Microcosms from becoming another overly serious protest band.
That balance matters. Crying Laughing Here With You can be furious one minute and unexpectedly vulnerable the next. “Shortchanged” targets the financial system, while “Wrapped Up” questions the promise of the perfect suburban life. Elsewhere, tracks such as “Strangled” and “Trampled” bring more personal emotion into the mix.
There’s no attempt to manufacture some picture-perfect punk image either. Microcosms are far more interested in saying what they actually think and making the music hit hard enough for people to listen.
Crying Laughing Here With You is messy, loud, thoughtful and occasionally uncomfortable, which feels pretty fitting for an album about being alive right now. Microcosms have plenty to say, and their debut makes sure they’re heard.