Cloud Nothings – I’m Not Part of Me
SoundCloud
Over the last few years, a number of noticeable acts have shoved their way to the forefront of my attention, but no one has completed a 180-turnaround quite like Cloud Nothings. Back when Dylan Baldi’s one-man project was initially forming from its Myspace origins, I sincerely couldn’t care less for the music. Initial releases left no impression on me at all, making Cloud Nothings just another name floating in the ether. Then, with a larger lineup, a new determined direction and some help from veteran producer, Steve Albini, Attack on Memory was unveiled. Not so much a reconfiguration as it was a catalyst for change, the third album under Baldi’s watch was sharp, jarring, melodic and hypnotic.
With album number four, Here and Nowhere Else, now freshly released from the pressing plant, Cloud Nothings show that their last outing was no flash in the pan. They pick up where they left off, and their trajectory continues to incline at a breakneck pace. If that wasn’t enough already, they’ve also managed to turn this cynical nonbeliever into a die-hard supporter along the way — a feat very few acts can claim to have achieved.
The structure, foundation and dynamics involved in Here and Nowhere Else are simple and straightforward — in fact, it could be said that the album only moves in one direction, and that direction is straight ahead. There’s something to be admired about that; it never looks back, not even once during its thirty minute run time, and if anything, that’s a testament to both its intentions and its level of confidence. On paper, this kind of decision could sound like an awfully linear, shallow and uninteresting approach, but in practice it’s anything but. Pounding and ferocious rhythms, razor sharp riffs, sledgehammer bass lines, shock waves of fuzzed-out distortion all set to high tempo, adrenaline-riddled bursts of noise rock all work together to rattle and rupture the airwaves. If this wasn’t enough to tantalize and excite (it is by the way, just in case you were wondering), the aesthetic glory of the record is further punctuated by Baldi’s angsty vocals and unapologetic songwriting. The fact that he’s all too willing to display both his insecurities and his immunities only adds to the unshackled nature that is the album’s beating heart.
Rough, raw and unrelenting, Here and Nowhere Else packs a huge punch and high velocity into its subtle but uncompromised frame. I had high expectations for the record considering how it’s predecessor had adjusted my attitude, but I didn’t expect it to make such an impression. I know it’s still very early in the year, but don’t be surprised if you see this on mine and many other “Best Of” lists for 2014.
