Laughing so Hard, it Hurts

by MAVI

Released October 14, 2022 via Mavi 4 Mayor Music / UnitedMasters

Reviewed October 25, 2022

Top tracks (based on community voting)

Spoiled Brat (36%), Doves / Chinese Finger Trap (27%), Last Laugh / My Good Ghosts (27%)

Dodging comparisons to contemporaries such as Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, MAVI’s second album sees him once again sporting wisdom beyond his years. Continuing in a similar style as his debut, Let the Sun Talk, the base of Laughing so Hard, it Hurts is built around a collection of disparate, jazzy, and loop-based instrumentals. It’s a sound heavily in line with the abstract hip-hop and jazz rap stylings of his contemporaries, but one that few execute so well. MAVI knows when to pull back and allow the production to lead, often using a somewhat muted delivery as his lyrics bounce between the ambiguous and the unmediated. It’s just another part of the self-awareness that permeates the entire record. MAVI has come a long way—both within his own growth and in regard to his rap career—but acknowledges that more work is to be done. Life is a never-ending grapple of emotions and conflicting forces, with inner peace being the ultimate goal. Laughing so Hard, it Hurts still positions this as an uphill battle, but MAVI’s keen introspection also presents a better understanding than most of such necessity. And while it’s hard to ask for more out of MAVI’s second record, much like the journey through life, there is always room for improvement; and with the potential on display, there’s no doubt MAVI will continue to grow and flourish as an artist as time goes on. – Dominick (8.2/10)