Review Summary: I'm not telling you all I'm going through.
Cloud Nothings are an American lo-fi indie rock trio who have just released their latest album, Here and Nowhere Else. Their 2012 release, Attack on Memory, was (in my humble opinion) a perfect example of what this genre should exhibit. Attack on Memory was a departure from Cloud Nothings previous efforts in the best way possible. It was mature, dark and overwhelmingly self aware. At no point did it fall into trappings of monotony, or conform to any expectations.
Attack on Memory made me equal parts nervous and giddy for whatever it was that Cloud Nothings were to release next. With the huge success that came with the release, I feared that the band would just do more of the same. Here and Nowhere Else is, in every sense, Attack on Memory’s schizophrenic, frantic older brother. The pacing of the entire LP is much faster than Attack on Memory, and stays consistantly similar throughout the runtime. This conformity provides us with a record that seems to behave in a much more cohesive fasion than Attack on Memory. Here and Nowhere Else feels like a mentally ill friend, white knuckling whatever it may be that ails them.
The first release off the LP, I’m Not A Part Of Me, is definitely a high point. It’s the emotional crux of the album, feeling like a confession from the aforementioned friend. The song draws you in, makes you feel for the character, while songs such as Now Hear In and Quieter Today shock you right back out of your comfort zone. The record really thrives when it delves into visceral, instinctive nervousness.
Here and Nowhere Else is meticulously composed, lovingly assembled and probably set to be one of my favourite LP’s of the year.
Highly Recommended
JV
