Cloud Nothings - Last Building Burning

Cloud Nothings are the longtime Rock project of Dylan Baldi.  Now, I for one was never really into their super early low-fi recordings.  But with 2011's "Cloud Nothings" I hopped aboard the hype.  This was a collection of incredibly catchy and well-written Garage Rock tunes with a Power Pop edge.  Tracks like the upbeat "Understand At All" and "On The Radio" were so carefree and seemingly drunkenly in love, while tracks like "Forget You All The Time" and "You're Not That Good At Anything" were much soberer.  All around, I loved this project.  But I don't think in my wildest dreams I could have guessed what would happen to Cloud Nothings next.  Dylan on its next project, "Attack On Memory" in one clean swoop took on the Post Hardcore sound and mastered it.  Cloud Nothings went old school channeling the likes of Fugazi and Slint, and absolutely sounded like pros doing it.  No joke, this is actually one of my favorite modern Post Hardcore albums.  There are catchy moments like "Stay Useless" and "Our Plans".  But let's be real, it's the blood boiling slow burners that make this album, like the infinitely looping "Wasted Days", the bruised "No Sentiment", or the absolutely immense "No Future/No Past".  This album is a must listen.  But when everyone was ranting and raving over 2014's "Here and Nowhere Else", I was scratching my head.  The hooks were catchier obviously, and even Dylan's songwriting was more immediate.  And trust me, there were a few really great tracks here.  But the majority of this album just didn't seem nearly as tortured or as patient as their previous album. And 2017's "Life Without Sound" was basically a Pop-Punk album.  In parts, a pretty decent one, with tracks like "Modern Act" or the slow-paced "Up To The Surface" stealing the show.  But when did Cloud Nothings lose their teeth?  What happened to this band?   But HEY!  What's this?!  Who turned on the heavy?!  Because these new singles are just that, grimy and heavy.  This has become one of my most anticipated Rock albums of recent memory, let's chat.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts out with “On An Edge”, and right off the bat this is much more hectic than anything Cloud Nothings have done since “Attack On Memory”.  I love just how upbeat and intense these drums are and how wild these guitars come off.  And most importantly, Dylan Baldi sounds like a maniac.  Like, he sounds like he’s about to reach out and grab your throat.  It’s aggressive and abrasive, and it’s wild as hell.  Now, I do maybe wish we got a catchy hook thrown in.  But that’s just me being picky, this is an exciting and off the rails punk track that I wasn’t expecting to hear right off the bat.  Then we have “Leave Him Now”, and this track is so much more like it.  This actually reminds me a lot of their early material.  I love just how intense and upbeat this one is, but there’s still this absolutely glorious, gigantic chorus that’s just so catchy.  There’s almost a 90’s feel to this from a songwriting stance, but it’s not suffocating.  Like I said, there’s something about this that reminds me of their self-titled album the way this is just so painfully in love.  Here, we see Dylan reaching out to someone he cares about and he sounds just so desperate.  It’s upbeat and chaotic and has just the right amount of heaviness in the instrumentals.  And it really sticks with you well after it’s over.  And no, this isn’t as immense or heavy as “Attack On Memory”, but this is all gravy.  Now, I don’t know what the hell happened to Dylan the past year, but “In Shame” continues on with a very smash mouth sound, and I can’t begin to tell you how happy this makes me.  Like, there are absolutely some nods to the early days of Hardcore Punk.  But at the same time, in all it’s ferocity this is still insanely catchy when it needs to be.  But the crushing riffs and the breakneck drums are just so likable, I’m eating this all up.  Now, “Offer An End” may not be as intense, but sonically this is just as interesting of a tune.  Dylan’s more soothing vocals here offer up a different sort of throwback sound, and I actually love just how vast this comes off.  Like, those distant guitars are such a fantastic touch and give this one such a unique sound.  Here, like I said, Dylan doesn’t really sound nearly as aggressive and actually sounds pretty bruised.  But this is just a fantastic change up for Dylan.  It’s harmonious in parts, but it’s just so cutting and visceral and sounds so damn human.  No, this may not be anywhere near as instantaneous as Cloud Nothings early days, but this is making me so happy right now. 

And dare I say, “The Echo Of The World” is so good that it sounds ripped completely out of “Attack On Memory”.  It’s the perfect blend of these pummeling riffs that keep piling up constantly, one after another.  This one just keeps on hitting, one bar after another, this one is one bone shattering riff after the next.  I love how unbearably tense the tapping drums are, Dylan absolutely has remembered everything he utilized in the past.  I mean, as far as a single goes, I really don’t think I could ask for more.  Not to mention, this has the sort of cutting, memorable hook that I’ve been dying for.  It even has that dense, suffocating atmosphere that Cloud Nothings have done so well with.  This is two thumbs up all around.  Then we get to “Dissolution”, which at first glance, sounds like one of the more direct and straightforward tracks of the bunch.  It’s upbeat and certainly streamlines, and I do like just how down to earth some of Dylan’s vocals are.  But the guitars here are a little too soaring for my liking, to the point where there’s no edge to them whatsoever.  Even 3-minutes in, this is a low point in the album for me.  But then we get this 7-minute jam that I honestly feel like Dylan just plopped in to make this album longer.  The result isn’t exciting, and doesn’t come off like a jam, and isn’t interesting or “Wild”.  No, this just sounds like Dylan screwing around.  Sure, there are a couple of cool moments in the last 2 minutes, but outside of that this sucks.  But “So Right So Clean” gets right back in that very primitive direction quickly.  I love just how slow and intense this one is.  There’s nothing fancy about this whatsoever, and Dylan just sounds like an animal.  And while yes, occasionally I feel like he’s putting on a bit of an act in his vocals, this is a great, sludgy jam.  Some of the breakdowns are just so intense and work with buildup so well.  Not to mention, Dylan’s lyrics here are freakin’ awesome and he’s not holding anything back at all.  And some of these final instrumental moments are just pummeling.  Sign me up for more of THIS.  And Cloud Nothing really end off this album with one of it’s catchier moments with “Another Way Of Life”.  This is upbeat, with almost some of the Punk elements on display that Dylan worked with years ago.  But I have to say, I love his vocals a whole lot more here.  Not to mention, I actually am seriously loving how catchy this track is.  A lot of the material here reminds me of their last album, just not as flimsy or poppy.  The instrumentals here are seriously of the rails and pretty wild at times like those drums are insane.  Everything about this finale works great, I just wish this album was longer. 

Rating: 8.1/10

Give A Listen To: “Leave Him Now”, “In Shame”, “Offer An End”, “The Echo Of The World”

Least Favorite Track: “Dissolution"

Genre: Post Hardcore / Noise Rock / Indie Rock

Overall Thoughts:  Praise whatever you believe in, Dylan Baldi remembered how to be heavy.  This is a massive return to form for whoever enjoyed his work with the “Attack On Memory” album he mastered the Post-Hardcore genre with years ago.  But at the same time, there are few moments here which aren’t excellently written and seriously catchy.  And while yes, the 10-minute jam “Dissolution” isn’t the journey that Dylan Wanted, this is a very VERY solid album.  My only real issue is, I really do wish Dylan waited another 6 months and gave us more tracks and a beefier album.