Cloud Nothings
‘Here and Nowhere Else’
(Wichita)
Over the last few years, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings have built a reputation for raw Sub Pop style punk rock with quality tunes and plenty of youthful hunger. This is the follow-up to 2012’s excellent ‘Attack On Memory’ (produced by a certain Steve Albini, no less), and an indicator that Cloud Nothings aren’t mellowing with age (thank goodness).
Certainly, the likes of ‘Quieter Today’ and ‘Giving Into Seeing’ belt along with typical effervescence; singer/guitarist Dylan Baldi sounding increasingly unnerved as the pace quickens. A more melodic side comes to the fore on ‘Just See Fear’ and ‘Psychic Trauma’, which start with a languid Dinosaur Jr-esque jangle, but manage to grow some pretty fearsome musical teeth along the way.
It seems appropriate that, around the 20th anniversary of Mr Cobain’s sad demise, Cloud Nothings are marrying plaid-shirt melodies and fuzzed-up guitar noise in a way that frequently doffs its cap to Seattle’s finest, yet also injects fresh vitality into old sounds. Oh, and they’re great live too.
Alex Gosman