Humor

As Tofusmell, Rae Chen (he/they) tackles matters of miscommunication, romance, and identity with a grin. Hence the title of Humor, 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 Funnier in Theory, Humor marks a heartfelt and evocative breakthrough. A 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, Humor is a living document of intimacy, as on “Keith,” which chronicles a phone call wi