This album starts off heavy with “Zero Day”, and right from the get-go I actually love a lot of the buildup and how they’re not just diving headfirst into nostalgic guitars. To the point where yea, when they do hit it’s actually exciting. Now, let’s talk about these vocals, they’re glazed over and half-stone for sure. But to be honest, these are just melodic enough for me to be seriously memorable. As a matter of fact, we’re one track in and we’re already dealing with material I remember more than anything on their last album. I love the wailing guitars during the chorus and the whirring vibe of this track. It just really seems to sum up Nothing’s sound more than any track I’ve heard from them in ages, this is great. “Blue Line Baby” continues with one pummeling guitar solo after another. I have to say, I think the key to all of this is just how much the band seem to be playing with a purpose. This one isn’t as alive and whirring as it’s predecessor. But this one has tons of twinkling guitars that give it this super sweet undertone. But one blaring riff after another just gives this one such a muscular sound as well. It’s whimsical, but it’s also spacey and refreshing to the modern Shoegaze sound. I’m honestly thrilled they took a few years putting this out because this is great so far. Not to mention, Domenic Palermo’s very delicate, often sweet vocals just add to the dynamic. I can’t remember the last time I heard Nothing coming off so damn triumphant. On the other hand, “You Wind Me Up” is an interesting change of pace. This is easily the most upbeat track here, and there’s some major Dinosaur Jr. worship going on here. It’s interesting an all, and Nothing brings in more reverb than usual. But to be honest, I do like the route they’ve been going for the rest of the album just a little bit more. That slower, more pensive tone is just wild. I just don’t think this one is nearly as memorable or even as catchy. But I do have to commend the band for going for a change of pace, cause this was risky.
On the other hand, “Plastic Migraine” doesn’t waste a single second bringing back that gigantic wall of sound. And I have to stress, a lot of the material here really isn’t inventing any wheels. But they’re playing it with so much more passion than usual. I love the wailing guitars that seem to haunt this one, and just how blaring it really is from start to finish. I do maybe wish this one was a little more catchy and had that sense of cool that early tracks had, but this is far from bad. On the other hand, “Us/We/Are” is the absolute knock out I needed here. This is the heaviest track of the bunch as far as grimy guitars go. And yes, you can easily say that this track and a lot of this album is fueled by 90’s nostalgia. I’m getting some Mudhoney here, I’m getting a whole lot of things 90’s But man, it’s just done so well. It legitimately has this grittiness to it, in an album that so far has been pretty damn pristine. I love the crunchy riff, the soaring solo, the gruff vocals, it’s all great. And it’s just head and shoulders more memorable than everything from their last album. On the other hand, “Hail on Palace Pier” is back to taking its time and building up an atmosphere. And honestly, that’s what you have to do with the genres that Nothing are working with. Because when those pounding drums come in, it’s legitimately exciting even though this is a fairly low-key tune. It’s easily the dreariest track of the bunch, but it actually brings in a lot of really interesting elements here that we haven’t heard here. It’s just so downtrodden, even though it still has that glossy soaring Shoegaze sound. And it’s all just a big buildup to this very epic and beautiful chorus, which is just icing on the cake.
When Nothing really gets into these grooves and start working with a sound, they really do amazingly with it. I mean, “I Hate the Flowers” is an absolutely muscular, wide track filled with washed out guitars and some of Dominic’s most passionate vocals of the entire album. Now, I have to say, this is also Shoegaze by the numbers. Nothing here continues to really not bring anything too wildly bold and new to the genre. But call me crazy, I think they’ve come just such a long way in playing this style of Rock. The chorus is just as hypnotic, and some of these guitar passages make me feel like I’m in some colorful sonic tunnel and speeding through space. It’s wild, and it’s done just so well. Overall, I think this is Nothing’s best work so far, but I’m not into “The Carpenter’s Son” at all. Nothing really give themselves room to breathe with this one being just about 8-minutes. Not to mention, they’re taking things much slower and trying to build up an atmosphere, which is great. But for me, like I said, this is the weakest moment here. Without the blaring guitars alongside all of this, I’m not nearly as interested. Honestly, I feel like this would have landed on their previous album and I would have completely obliterated it. Not to mention, it’s just so fucking slow. Barely anything happens on this one, and when it does I’m just sitting here thinking to myself just how much more interesting this would have been if it was more straightforward. I don’t know where this one came from, but it’s just a massive drop in quality. But with “(HOPE) Is Just Another Word With a Hole in It” they actually wrap this album up rather nicely. I love the return to the soaring guitars and steady pace. And the production overall on this album is actually really great like you can really hear every last instrumental. It’s not the catchiest track here which is a little upsetting. But, it’s another big, muscular Shoegaze track that’s wonderful to vibe out to. Not to mention, the pacing on this one is really masterful. Nothing has come a long way in keeping you guessing, hell, they’ve come a long way in general.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: “Zero Day”, “Blue Line Baby”, “I Hate the Flowers”, “Hail on Palace Pier”
Least Favorite Track: “The Carpenter’s Son”
Genre: Shoegaze / Noise Rock / Alternative Rock
Overall Thoughts: Nothing returns from making one of the most boring albums of 2016, with one of the more genuinely compelling Shoegaze albums of 2018. The guitars here are often grizzly, loud, blaring, and drenched in nostalgia. I wouldn’t say there’s much of anything here that is wildly inventive for Shoegaze in 2018. But Nothing play this style of music with so much heart and determination here that it comes off flattering. Not to mention, these are a handful of the absolute catchiest tunes they’ve written ever. Solid album.
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