No Age was the band that kicked off the reemergence of a fuzzy punk movement. Back in 2007, the album Weirdo Rippers surfaced, and people were either extremely confused by the DIY, incomprehensible nature of the band or were thrilled that something so simultaneously new and nostalgic was hitting their ears again. I admit I was part of the former consensus. This was probably because I wasn’t really listening to music at that point of my life, and entering 11th grade at that time, I was still sorta an orchestra nut. Imagine how my ears reacted when I heard “I Wanna Sleep” for the first time.

Then the band signed to Sub Pop, and all of a sudden people started freaking out. Rightfully so: not only was Nouns a totally badass effort and their debut album for the esteemed label, it also managed to transcend all seasons to become a record of the year, not one you just forget about when the winter rolls around. No, instead, this music from Randy Randall and Dean Spunt, while a somewhat polarizing sound, can really strike a chord in most people. The noise they make is indicative of American music culture in the late 80s and 90s, the time when people were experimenting with more abrasive hooks and indistinguishable anthems.

So now we have Everything In Between. This album is a totally different game for the duo. For one, it’s solidly produced, two, you can understand what they are actually saying, and finally, it’s kind of poppy… in that noisy type of way. When you lead off a work with two songs like “Life Prowler” and “Glitter,” you mind as well just start handing over end-of-year accolades. These tracks set the mood for the album: the first leads off with a steady, fast drumbeat before the lyrics “One time is all I need/To know my job’s complete” chime in. It seems to be a mantra of sorts. These guys are so talented and know what the hell they need to accomplish in the span of 13 songs. And from the get-go, they build up the momentum until “Chem Trails,” where everything is let loose. But then that song ends on a very anticlimactic note. You might find yourself sitting there wondering where the music went, but it will all make sense in a few seconds. No Age is just taking a quick breather from everything before they begin work on their next effort, something which will no doubt be even more astounding than this.