Cloud Nothings : "Life Without Sound"

It is comforting to know that one of the biggest indie rock bands at the moment does in fact know how to rock.
They open the album with a more reflective tone and cruising on smooth melodies, but by the second song they remind you that indie rock has punk roots. There is enough of a jangle to take you back to the days band's like the Replacements held a place on college radio. If you missed the boat on the first two Weezer albums and Jimmy Eat World, then these guys have got you covered. They take a much more straight forward approach on "Internal World". Vocally the melodies are done justice by the plaintive mid-range of their typically relaxed singer. The pace really picks up to a more punk place for "Darkened Rings". They do relax back onto the bass line for a minute and lure you in. You get to here the singer's vocal cords tense up when they hit what is their heaviest dynamic.

There is a more rock n roll strum to "Entire Entirely".While it has a little sneer to it, it almost feels like garage rock. Speaking of rock n roll the opening chords to " Modern Act" make me think of the Rolling Stones. This is one of the album's strongest songs returns to the sound they opening up the album with a little rougher around the edges.  They meet somewhere in the middle on "Sight Unseen" which feels more like middle of the road punk rock. They get a half a shade darker on "Strange Year" , though dark isn't really these guys thing. I do like the moodier tone as it makes the more howling explosion more powerful. They almost touch on an Ice Age like place, but obviously don't do the same drugs.

I really like when these guys use a clean guitar tone, even when it jangles a little. They ease back into a moodier moment with "Realize My Fate" which backs off from the more uptempo punk place they have used for the bulk of the album. When they lay hard on the chords its creates a really nice sonic pulse. They build it up all the way until things get heavy for these guys in the albums second most intense moment. I'll give this guy a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. If you like indie rock that knows where it came from this is worth your time.