On The Shadow I Remember, Cloud Nothings sound like they've grown with time and have been enlightened along the way with a reliable sound of garage rock and pop. Thematically meditative and spiritual, it's showing more of a light than the darkened gloomy image may assume.
Cloud Nothings are a Cleveland-based indie and garage rock band who have been around for over ten years now. When I listen to Cloud Nothings, I typically get a youthful energetic sound of a newly emerging band. I remember specifically Cloud Nothings' breakout album that really started to turn heads in 2012. This album I'm mentioning, Attack On Memory, is still a really enjoyable rock album that features the band's catchiest songs. The production was that of a famed 90's indie rock band really shredding and giving you everything they have. "Stay Useless" is still one of my favorite rock songs in recent memory and "Wasted Days" still slaps. It acted like an album that really flowed well with memorable and catchy cut after cut. I returned to it recently and it still leaves a positive mark on you. After all these years, Cloud Nothings have put out a lot of music, albums that seemed to slip past me unfortunately. You know, I'm a busy guy and I listen to a bunch of new albums and I just never got to check them out. I always heard good things about them though, hearing that they still retain that youthful edge in garage rock and pop.
The Shadow I Remember, the band's ninth studio album, still retains all that I enjoyed about the band nine years ago. That same energy is still there, the production is sharp, lead band member Dylan Baldi's throat shredding and nasal vocal delivery is also still great. The guitars sound noisy but cleanly sharp (not too squeaky clean thank goodness). This album is produced by the iconic Steve Albini (who notably produced Attack On Memory), so that was an interesting point that led me to wanting to check this thing out. Compared to their older music though, Cloud Nothings sound a it different. They still retain the youthful energy, but now they sound a little older, more mature, more retrospective. The classical piano keys are here front and center with the fast paced drumming and noisy guitar grooves in a "sun peering out of the clouds" way. The Shadow I Remember sounds like an "aha" moment for the band, or that's what it sounds like to me. Given I have not heard the band's other recent albums, this one is thematically meditative and spiritual, showing more of a light than the darkened title may assume.
This album definitely has a fluent, nonstop effort of providing song and song. The band has not lost their ability to craft a catchy pop song either, featuring a bunch of memorable hooks and choruses. "Olso" is a whirlwind of an opener that definitely introduces you to the clash in chaos and beauty. "Nothing Without You" is the sunniest song on the album (despite the album cover's cloudy and rainy image) with the peppy guitars and a surprisingly springy and graceful vocal delivery from Macie Stewart in the chorus. It's a sweet and sour mesh of noisy guitars with the light poppy hooks. "The Spirit Of" is another fave that is classic Cloud Nothings with a quickly performed instrumental and a throat shredding Baldi in the chorus. The song's finish is very blissful and enlightening, that of a huge bell going off. "Nara" is one of the prettier and more melodic ballads that is definitely one of the more meditative songs. "Open Rain" has my favorite vocal performance from Baldi, who sounds a lot more mature and powerful in his vocal delivery. It's a bit more nuanced and the quick vocal hooks are great.
"Am I Something" is an excellent single that sounds like a revelation, an opening of finding out something that is meaningful to your life. "A Longer Moon" has some more detailed and complex guitar chords with a percussive breakdown and progressive like finish. Some of the instrumental choices are a little tedious to get through like the awkward vocals on "Sound of Alarm" or the fast paced grooves on "It's Love," which are so fast that it sounds like your heart is beating out of your chest. The album has a quick runtime of 32 minutes which is quite short and sweet, but also has little room for error. In the end, I ultimately found this album to be an enjoyable listen. It's kind of a nostalgic throwback to the Attack On Memory days, but aesthetically is quite more mature. On The Shadow I Remember, Cloud Nothings sound like they've grown with time and have been enlightened along the way with a reliable sound of garage rock and pop.
My Rating: 7 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Nothing Without You," "The Spirit Of," "Open Rain," "Am I Something"
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