Album Review: No Age - An Object

There are some albums that should only be consumed all at once. The fourth full-length from noise rock duo No Age undoubtedly finds itself fitting into that category. An Object sees the pair minimising the turbulent noise of its predecessors, taking heed from 2010's Everything In Between and making a greater use of space and structure with the execution of each track operating at a much more cautious pace. While still brimming with the dissonance that their sound is known for, An Object makes a departure from the more raucous elements of previous releases, hinting at a far more analytical take on noise-rock.

No Age appear to be doing a little more genre-bending with An Object, exploring the realms of no wave and post-punk with a subtle incorporation of drone. Save for the more punk-oriented C'mon, Stimmung and the krautrock-esque Lock Box, the album functions at a fairly consistent timing. As a result, it guides you through from start to finish with the illusion of having barely changed tracks at all – even with the occasional abrupt transitions and sonic curveballs that present themselves throughout the album. The only setback in such fluidity is that the album's close (Commerce, Comment, Commence) feels far too soon.

No Age have taken on a lot of responsibility in having included such a veritable range of sounds in such a minimal fashion. They've certainly handled it in the best possible way, though it takes a couple of listens for An Object to prove itself as the musically rich and brilliantly put-together album that it really is.