Cloud Nothings
Attack On Memory
8.4/10
iPod Worthy
Ohio native Dylan Baldi’s lo-fi project Cloud Nothings made a huge splash on the internets in 2010 with the songs “Hey Cool Kid” and “Didn’t You.” Both tracks had constructed pop melodies with distorted, dusty vocals and guitar riffs. On his latest full-length Baldi chucks those friendly arrangements and replaces them with harder sounds and clear but forceful vocals. While this dramatic change can be off-putting for some, it is hard to deny that the new raw sound is effective pure (indie) rock.
Baldi pretty much sticks to guitars, bass and drums on Attack. There are no fancy synths or zany blips and bloops — the sounds here are straightforward and executed to a tee. The Nirvana inspired opening track “No Future/No Past” has Baldi singing around a delicate piano riff, swirling guitars, a deep base and crashing drums, while working on an intense build up. Baldi’s vocals are strained and when the awesome track reaches its climax the singer lets loose and screams, “No future, no past.” “Wasted Days” is another highlight and is an uptempo punk song where Baldi sings about his underwhelming life.
“Fall In” is the most “poppy” track on the LP but it does’t excuse Baldi’s harsh new vocal style. Another fantastic track is “Stay Useless” that has the catchy hook, “I need time to stop moving/ I need time to stay useless,” and crashing drums and tight guitar playing. The Liars sounding “Our Plans” and the instrumental rock-gasim “Separation” both standouts. “Cut You” doesn’t really sound like a closer but it still holds its own falling in line with the brilliance of the record.
If nothing else, Attack On Memory is a solid, edgy indie rock album with exquisit sounding guitars. If you were a fan of Cloud Nothings before this album you may be shocked at the unexpected change in direction, however, if you’re open minded enough or you just like this kind of noisy sound then I can’t image you not loving this LP. If this is your first time with the band, then I would expect nothing but a positive listening experience.
Listen to “Stay Useless” and “No Future/No Past” below:
