Reviewed on Wednesday December 10
It’s Cloud Nothings’ first time touring Australia with material from Here And Nowhere Else, an album they’ve described as noisier and more complex than anything else they’ve done. Live, it’s impressive just how much noise the trio can make, without losing a single riff or beat in a mess of sound.
While it’s always been Dylan Baldi’s band, Cloud Nothings’ recent shift in lineup has had a profound impact on turning up the intensity. From the opener ‘Now Hear In’ it’s clear that adding Jayson Gerycz on drums has allowed Cloud Nothings to stray away from scuzzy riffs in a favour of cleaner, bolder rhythms. It barely needs to be translated live – just like on record, the drums are level with Baldi’s vocals. They’re about as close to melodic as you can get.
Then there’s Baldi’s guitar, taking on some of the rhythm work in frenzied riff after riff. ‘Patter Walks’ nails the switch from the thumping bass opening to the rhythm guitar reverb, letting everything build and dip over a massive seven minutes.
Material from Attack On Memory has a noticeably different dynamic, but ‘Fall In’ and ‘Stay Useless’ are still highlights, and a relief from the mind-bending (and finger-destroying) guitar work of newer songs. The band’s extended jam on ‘I’m Not Part Of Me’ is an impressive show of Baldi’s tightened guitar skills, and if tonight is anything to go by, their energy is only going to catapult them further.
