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Photo: Jimmy Fontaine

After amassing a cult-like following through a steady output of 2022 singles including, "Hate.," "Keep It Tucked" and his breakout hit "SPIT IN MY FACE!," ThxSoMch, born Carter De Filippis, formally introduces himself with Sleez. Effortlessly blurring the angst of '90s alternative and the raw energy of 2000s SoundCloud rap, ThxSoMch explores the alluring boundary between reality and dark fantasy across the EP's eight tracks.

Sleez sets the stage with the anthemic "Hate." It's a high-energy blend of post-punk and hyperpop elements, opening with a fuzzed-out version of the chorus, building suspense with its distant yet enraged vocals. When the track finally explodes, listeners are launched into a sonic space full of persistent percussion and bass, catchy, dreamy guitar riffs, and biting lyrics. The singer expresses his growing frustration and anger towards someone constantly running around, causing problems, and acting in a contradictory and manipulative way. As the song continues, ThxSoMch expresses his growing despair and possibly suicidal thoughts because of the person's actions, especially on lines like, "Be careful hon' / Stop telling me on / And I can't move on / I think I'm probably flawed / And I'd kill myself at four in the morning / Pills probably gone."

Listeners are then transported through the worlds of "Swap Places" and "Vile." A guitar melody drowns out the electronic percussion in the former as his voice shifts from heartbreaking chants to tender swoons. Meanwhile, on the latter, ThxSoMch picks up the pace with a head-nodding riff and hypnotic hook. The two previously unreleased tracks set up the hauntingly captivating "SPIT IN MY FACE!." With lyrics that spew the grit of love-fueled rage laid over a raunchy sonic mosh pit, it's hard not to be drawn in by the rising artist's emotional snarl. On the breakout track, ThxSoMch has found pleasure in his suffering, preferring to bleed out in the hands of his neglectful lover rather than bloom in their absence.

"Crumbled" is a dreamy blend of post-punk and hyperpop elements that transports listeners into a world full of suspense, persistent percussion and bass, catchy, nostalgic guitar riffs, and biting lyrics. The pace picks up with the introduction of poppy percussion and sonics reminiscent of The Cure. The singer's raspy vocals paint a story of heartbreak, using melancholic verses to build up into a chorus full of goosebump-inducing, scream-singing, and brooding instrumentation. He laments seeing his former lover with someone new, singing, "Last night, you looked so content / That's why / I crumbled again / Last night, last night, last night, last night / Yeah, you looked so good with him."

"CAROLINE" highlights the artist's addictive, brash vocals and ability to create heartfelt and honest lyrics and then transition into earwormy hooks over hypnotic guitar riffs. Using clever wordplay to express the haunting feeling of a toxic relationship, he sings, "Never thought I'd feel heartbreak until I looked at you and then I held my hand out." 

The penultimate"Keep It Tucked" is an anxiety-ridden track that sees the artist continue to wade through his anger and frustration toward a romantic partner. This is the high-energy moment before listeners are swept away into the wistful sonics of "screws." While his high-pitched vocals meet a creaking acoustic guitar, ThxSoMch recognizes that everybody has screws loose and that "We lose all of them." In the nostalgic chorus, he admits that he feels an emotional weight resting on him and is "made frail," questioning whether he can continue carrying it alone. As the haunting instrumentals we've come to know swirl around us, they build into one final crescendo before they fade into the ether, propping up his emotional vocals one last time before coming to a solemn close.

It's difficult to deny the raw emotion of Sleez. Using elements of screamo, emo, and aggressive industrial vocal effects reminiscent of nothing, nowhere, YUNGBLUD, and Dinosaur Pile-Up and blending trap-beat-inspired post-punk components reminiscent of KennyHoopla, POORSTACY, WSTR, ThxSoMch has created a record full of unyielding energy, gut-wrenching lyrics, and powerful hooks that hit listeners hard.

Listen to Sleez below: