Album Review: Cloud Nothings - Here And Nowhere Else

Ten seconds into Cloud Nothings' third record and already there's energy spewing forth like an erupting volcano. The Cleveland trio haven't fucked around with Here And Nowhere Else, an album that's far more of an attack on senses than memory. Eight shots of sonic fury drag you into a speeding vehicle, slap you around and take your money, before kicking you out onto the roadside. By the end of it all you're left dazed, wondering what the hell just happened.

On first listens to Here And Nowhere Else, two things are immediate: the pace of the record, and the improved quality of Dylan Baldi's vocals. Drummer Jayson Gerycz doesn't slow down for a second – he's seriously going to kill himself playing these songs live – the only distinct change in his tempos coming from when he takes the beat off the snare and onto the floor tom. Baldi meanwhile has given us cleaner verses to chew on, at least cleaner when compared to the band's previous releases. It's far from accessible, but his lyrics now sit comfortably in front of the distorted guitar fury, giving tracks like Quieter Today and I'm Not Part Of Me individual personality and colour.

Still, the most abrasive explosions remain the best, like the way Psychic Trauma flicks a switch and goes from meandering to manic, or when Giving Into Seeing practically crashes into a wall during its final moments. Here And Nowhere Else is high octane garage noise at its finest, and proves that you only need a little to do so much.