Carpark Records
In their five-year run Cloud Nothings have explored several styles of indie-punk all with different forms of buzzing guitars and urgent vocals. Here and Nowhere Else builds perfectly on the foundation set by the previous three albums and offers so much more.
Cataclysmic walls of guitar build and crash. Head-spinning shifts and twists in the songs are done with wonderful form reminiscent of bands like Wire and The Thermals. It makes for a thrilling ride.
Bandleader Dylan Baldi delivers vocals with an urgent youthfulness. He sings the emo-angled lyrics perfectly then ascends into fits of screaming ecstasy.
They save the best for last. The single “I’m Not Part Of Me” starts with a buzzing guitar hook and a driving rock drumbeat then goes into deeply thoughtful and melodic lyrics about growing up and moving on. You’ve got to admire a band that saves the single for the end. The choice really speaks to how solid the entire album is.
There’s no doubt that Cloud Nothings are shaping up to be a great indie rock band of our time and this is their finest work yet.
