Cloud Nothings : Attack On Memory

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Cloud Nothings Attack on Memory review

Sometime toward the end of the ’00s, indie rock began to run a deficit in the taut, aggressive yet melodic style of post-hardcore that made the ’90s an embarrassment of riches for alternately graceful and dissonant six-string sounds. Given the noisy lo-fi pop of their first two records, I probably wouldn’t have guessed that Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings would be the natural successors to the scratchy guitar jabs of Shellac or the noisily catchy punch of Jawbox. The band’s 2011 self-titled album comprised concise tunes with lot more in common with the likes of Wavves or Best Coast, no doubt enjoyable, but without visceral intensity or throat-ripping emotion.

It probably doesn’t hurt, then, that in order to help capture the right sonic atmosphere on second album Attack On Memory, Cloud Nothings enlisted the aid of Steve Albini. Vocalist Dylan Baldi candidly described Albini’s approach as pretty hands off, noting that the notoriously surly Shellac/Big Black frontman spent much of his time playing online Scrabble. Yet Albini, regardless, left his mark, capturing the band with a raw, analog sound that pops with each guitar chime and each snare drum snap, a sound that has remained an Electrical Audio staple from Surfer Rosa to In Utero.

Where Cloud Nothings began with Baldi’s solo home recordings, Attack On Memory marks a pivotal point in the group’s progression, sounding for the first time like a tight group of live musicians in the same room, a gloriously sharp-edged sound that suits the band nicely. This taut dynamic results in some dramatically more adventurous material for the band, the most notable examples of which occur right at the front of the album. Leadoff track “No Future/No Past” is a tense slow burner, trudging like the sinister post-rock of Slint before ultimately exploding into a harsh climax of distortion and Baldi’s shredding vocals. Alternately, “Wasted Days” moves at twice the speed and spans nearly twice the length, ending just shy of the nine-minute mark as it takes a cue or two from Wipers’ “Youth of America”. It begins as a direct, blistering punk rocker before dabbling in a noisy jam session, ultimately ending where it began, a sort of encore performance of its undeniable hooks.

Though they’ve advanced impressively in terms of musicianship and songwriting, Cloud Nothings maintain an exuberant and angst-ridden youthfulness. The harmonized vocals on standout “Fall In” rekindle some of their past glories but in a tighter, heavier hitting form. And Baldi, having experienced only the front end of his twenties, has a vocal screech that recalls Jeremy Enigk circa Sunny Day Real Estate’s Diary, uttering self-doubting lines like “I want to be like you/ tell me what I should do.” One track later, on the similarly immediate “Stay Useless,” Baldi returns to the chorus refrain, “I need time to stop moving/ I need time to stay useless.” Though the words sometimes seem mired in youthful uncertainty and, at times, snot-nosed defiance, their meaning isn’t always important. His ripped larynx seems to speak loud enough on its own.

Baldi stated after recording Attack on Memory that his first album didn’t really sound like music he actually listened to, and with this new set, the band’s aim was to better represent the Hüsker Dü and Wipers records that make up more of his regular rotation. The record Cloud Nothings recorded more than updates their sound, it displays a greater sense of confidence and impeccable taste. Attack On Memory is not only a great leap forward for the band, but an acknowledgement of sound instincts.


Label: Carpark

Year: 2012


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