In the music video for their latest drop, “Crying Is Cool,” The Sonder Bombs frolic around in murky lake waters, blow bubbles, chow down on hot dogs, and tell scary stories in the dark. It’s the kind of summertime fun that seems like a pipe dream, a distant memory of all our delightful summer plans before the world collectively lost its mind. The video, shot in a warm vignette haze, hits you in all the right places to get in you in that nostalgic mood. It’s bittersweet, but also cozy in a way that makes you want to grab the person closest to you and wrap them up in a bear hug. The Sonder Bombs embody this feeling with a rocked-up, anthemic vigor in this song.
The Sonder Bombs are an indie band based out of Cleveland known for their infectious energy. “Crying Is Cool,” taken from their upcoming sophomore album Clothbound, is as catchy as it gets with its steady drums, melodic guitar lines, and candid lyrics. “Crying is cool / Whenever you want to / I could cry with you,” lead singer Willow Hawks asserts with such conviction that you have no choice but to take her word for it. Their lyrics can be cheeky too: “You could be alone or / I could be there too.” Or, my favorite line: “I could keep you armed / with chocolate and tissue.” Emotional vulnerability takes all forms—who’s to say you can’t fight sadness with a little love and some chocolate?
When the chorus hits, the song taps into its full punk-rock potential. “No one ever tells us it’s okay / But it’s okay,” Hawks sings overtop blissfully carefree instrumentation. Though the music is unmistakably energized, the lyrics are always sincere. “Please don’t tell yourself that it’s not right / If it feels right I’ll hold you tight.” Even a verse later when she starts extolling the virtues of Netflix and boxed wine, there’s never a hint of insincerity. Songs about crying don’t all have to be glum; maybe another way to fix the blues is to rock out. And the band plays with such charisma that I’d imagine it would be hard not to want to take them up on their offers.
The first thing on The Sonder Bomb’s Facebook page is a definition for ‘sonder’ – “n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own”. “Crying Is Cool” perfectly encapsulates this unbridled positive empathy in its call for emotional vulnerability and unconditional support for your loved ones. The Sonder Bomb’s next album Clothbound drops January 29th next year, an album that already seems to glimmer with this anthem that reminds us all of what we always seem to forget—it’s OK to not be OK.
