Cloud Nothings’ trajectory has been astounding. They started as the sole vision of Dylan Baldi, and while they still certainly carry his unique trademark, the fully fleshed out band has given his ideas room to grow. When the band moved away from their more melodic earlier albums into the punk rock realm on 2012’s Attack on Memory, it signified what could possibly be the most logical style for the band. Baldi’s aggressive yet vulnerable songwriting on that album was impressive. Even more impressive was how drummer Jayson Gerycz, and bassist TJ Duke, when included in the songwriting process, were able to seamlessly integrate their abilities into the band’s sound. Producer Steve Albini’s hands off approach may have also played a big part in Cloud Nothings unlocking their potential as well. While it might seem like a waste of money to pay someone to do nothing while you record, it also gives a young band room to find exactly what they want to sound like without intrusions from outside forces. All of these things combined to help the band create their new album, Here and Nowhere Else.
While Albini deserves praise for giving the band the space they needed to grow, Congleton seems to have calibrated the band to work at an optimal level. Each song is incredibly tight, and they are willing to do a lot of things they seemed tentative to do on Attack On Memory with much more confidence. The timing signatures are ferocious, with all three members thrashing in ways that sometimes seem painful. Gerycz’s drumming might be the most impressive piece of the trio, he is tasked with keeping many of these songs afloat, and at the speed they are moving it’s easier said than done.
Something that Cloud Nothings experimented with on Attack On Memory was tempo shifting. It felt refreshing because the concept isn’t something that is seen in punk frequently, simply because the songs are often times too short. These changes in tempo and timing make a huge comeback on Here And Nowhere Else, and they feel much more planned out and effective. “Quieter Today” utilizes this shift in its choruses, where it pauses and then explodes. It gives the song a feeling of release that is palpable to the listener. The next track, “Psychic Trauma,” utilizes this shift in a completely different way, but to a just as attractive effect. The song starts out slow, but then picks up abruptly and becomes one of the more ferocious songs on the album, complete with flourishes from each member of the band.
Baldi’s lyricism and vocals also get a refinement on Here and Nowhere Else. His voice now feels like it’s prepared for the rigors of their new style. He has the growl of a punk singer down to the point where he can feel confident, but he also still has a hint of vulnerability. He seems to be crafting a vocal style similar to Milo Aukerman of Descendents and Colin Newman of Wire.
Baldi’s lyricism is simple, but reveals hidden depth when put together as a complete picture. It combines strongly with the music built around them as well, and that feeling of synergy is what helps the album stand out. This narrative fueled tension culminates in the album’s final two songs. “Pattern Walks” starts strong, then lulls, then sluggishly pulls itself into an almost psychedelic admittance of loss that is shown simply and beautifully with the stunted repetition of two words: “I thought.” The album’s final and best track, “I’m Not Part of Me,” sounds like the culmination of all the creative output the band has released before it. It has the backing of a punk song, but is easily the closest to a pop song on the album. While it gives off the feeling of someone moving on, it in truth gives of a feigned impression instead of real progress. Taken this way, it gives the album a defeated ending that was hinted at in “Pattern Walks.”
Recently, only Titus Andronicus’ The Monitor and Fucked Up’s David Comes To Life have the ambition that Here and Nowhere Else shows. It will take some impressive work from the bands mentioned above and their contemporaries to match what Cloud Nothings have done here, and at this early point in the year, it has to be considered the best rock album to be released in 2014.
Review by Justin Owlett. Follow him on Twitter @justowle.
