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Album Review: Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory

‘Attack on Memory’ does what it says on the tin. In this second release, Cloud Nothings have in fact, launched a menacing, music assault in the form of reinforcing ‘90s rock ideals. With Dylan Baldi at the helm, this relatively short, eight-track record keeps it short and sweet, but immediately gets right to the point.

Building upon last year’s self-titled debut, the band’s sophomore effort takes advantage of a far superior production budget. The result is an astounding intensification of every twang and percussive thrash. A listen to ‘No Sentiment’ (previous MP3 of the Day here) exemplifies Baldi’s manic tremolo pricking, making each strike of ‘plectrum to string’ incredibly audible.

Album opener ‘No Future / No Past’ (previous MP3 of the Day here; video below [warning: it's very disturbing]) appears as a momentary ruse. The introduction focuses around a tranquil piano melody before exploding into a full-throttle roaring over a wall of furiously-distorted guitars. Skip a few tracks and ‘Stay Useless’ fills the void of ominous heavy post-rock. A gem amidst the other songs, it highlights the lighter, bubblier side to Cloud Nothings; it’s a direct reminiscence to the majority of the prior record.

Admittedly, there are times when Baldi’s brash vocals fall prey to an excessive use of elongating certain phrases and words. Perhaps it is the young singer’s uncanny resemblance to Kurt Cobain’s gruff, early yelping, but there are several instances in which this imitation sounds too forced. Although there remains a deeply-rooted ‘90s attitude in Cloud Nothings’ evolutionary process, their ethos can sometimes become indistinguishable from the similarities between the short start-stop songs. Nevertheless, ‘Attack on Memory’ offers a more energetic yet sinister alternative to their previous work: one that is definitely a step forward to developing the band’s already prestigious stature.

6/10

‘Attack on Memory’, the second album from Cloud Nothings, is out on the 6th of February on Wichita Recordings.