Following up 2012’s superb Attack on Memory, the latest Cloud Nothings, Here and Nowhere Else straddles a thin dimension between their previous catalog and the unknown, uncertain future. On the one hand, it’s a continuation of some of Memory’s more strident reinventions; on the other hand, it’s completely recognizable as a Cloud Nothings release.
I should explain. Prior to Attack on Memory, Cloud Nothings was known as being a fun, energetic, poppy, punky band—propelled, in no small part, by lead singer Dylan Baldi’s enthusiasm. Memory was like an overhaul—darker, rawer, louder—a transmogrification of the band’s poppy punkiness into an excoriating rush. And, now that the dust has settled from Memory’s impact, the record sits like a weight on the band’s catalog, and it’s the inevitable comparison point for Here and Nowhere Else.
What’s most evident on Nowhere is the fact that the band has pulled back a bit. Baldi is the only guitarist now, whereas Cloud Nothings releases of old had two and as such the songs rely more on his playing and his singing for melodic strength. This is not a disaster for the band—it works for much of the record—but it immediately dismantles a part of Memory’s legacy: the double barreled melodic engine that spewed furious riffs is diminished here, stripped back.
The music is still furious. Opening track “Now Hear In” starts with a distorted tangle of strumming, but once the drums kick in and Baldi starts singing, the song takes off in a full gallop. Lead singles “Psychic Trauma” and “I’m Not Part of Me” put to rest any notion that the band has suffered significantly from the loss of a second guitarist.
Nonetheless, the barrage Cloud Nothings unleashes on Here and Nowhere Else is a marked change, and it remains to see how far Baldi and company can take it. But I’ll give them a vote of confidence, based on what’s offered here.
Rating: B+
