Weekly Release Spotlight: Cloud Nothings
Posted on 2/05/2012
Cloud Nothings
Attack On Memory
Carpark
Attack On Memory
Carpark
It was only a year ago that Cloud Nothings released their self-titled debut album. Comprised of eleven lo-fi pop rock tracks, their debut showed a lot of promise for such a young band. That said, I don’t think anyone expected Cloud Nothings to capitalize on that talent and release a fully realized album this quickly. Attack on Memory makes such radical improvements on their previous work that it’s hard to believe this is even the same band.
In a way, it’s not. While the four members of Cloud Nothings toured together for a year before recording Attack on Memory, their debut album was written and recorded by Dylan working alone. The addition of a full band gives the songs range that the songs on Cloud Nothings lacked. Instead of running an idea into the ground as quick as possible, tracks are given room to breathe. This is best shown on “Wasted Days,” a nine minute track that includes a five minute instrumental section in the middle of the track, and the instrumental “Separation.” Both tracks are clearly the result of four musicians putting their own voice into a song.
While it can be fun to play spot the influence while listening to Attack on Memory (personally I hear a lot of Trail of Dead on some songs), no one sound dominates the album. “No Future/No Past” opens the album with a slow build that eventually explodes with Baldi repeatedly yelling the title. “Stay Useless” follows a few tracks later and sounds like a pop song in comparison. The track is an upbeat and catchy, demonstrating what their last record could have sounded like if it hadn’t been recorded in a bedroom. In fact, every song on the albums benefits greatly from Cloud Nothing’s decision to record the album with famed producer Steve Albini. While it’s easy to overstate Albini’s influence on the album, his minimalistic production style suits the album perfectly.
For a band that has grown so much in the last two years, it’s hard to know what their next album will sound like. “Our Plans” sums this point up best with the repeated refrain of “no one knows our plans for us, we won’t last long.” While that’s true, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Cloud Nothings - "Cut You"