Cloud Nothings
Cleveland, OH
“Fuzzed-out, blistering guitar driven bedroom pop”
Cloud Nothings is the moniker for Cleveland’s music school dropout Dylan Baldi. His sophomore self-titled album offers up a claustrophobic package of distorted guitars, splashy percussion and youthful energy jutting from a traditional indie rock core (think Beach Fossils, Best Coast or Surfer Blood). The hasty tempo offers unavoidable comparisons to punk, while crimped by short, melodic, guitar-driven structures. Out of the gate, “Should Have” is a jolt, setting the lo-fi stage while featuring the staple indie rock trinity: guitar, bass and drums.
Baldi’s voice is catchy and suited for the hawkish songwriting, where a lackadaisical melody is poised with a fierce rhythm – it feels revitalizing, yet tender. The songs are catchy too, leaning heavily on hook-filled choruses and peppered with refined, strobe-like guitar strokes. “I don’t have a heartbeat / why do you?” repeats Baldi emphatically in “Heartbeat,” funneling emotion through a punkish slogan.
“All The Time” is a highlight, showcasing the band’s trademark lo-fi wash, textured and baked in fuzz. The song exposes Baldi’s knack for unanticipated composition, which turns breaks into choruses, then into spontaneous verses. Cloud Nothings’ latest achieves conciseness while still maintaining a pioneering and distinctive spirit. (Carpark Records)
Engineered, recorded, mixed and produced at the Copycat by Chester Gwazda // Mastered at JLM by Joe Lambert