RECORD REVIEW: NO AGE - EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Reviews

Sunday, 31 October 2010 00:00

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NO AGE - Everything In Between

From the outset, with its incessant beat and duality of guitar hooks, one live, one looped the instant impression from the first track off Everything In Between, 'Life Prowler' is that Los Angeles post punk rock outfit have undergone a less than subtle transformation since their 2008 debut, Nouns. Whereas Nouns was true to the DIY aethestic that guitar/drum rock duos exude, Everything In Between benefits from multi-tracking giving it a fuller sound and allowing Randy Randall and Dean Spunt to experiment with their musical direction. I must admit, while Nouns was impressive, I wasn't expecting a great deal from this record (it seems I forgot last years excellent holding EP, Losing Feeling, for that would have given me an inkling of what was to come). For all the frenetic energy of the debut, there seemed to be a laziness of sorts or at least an effortless malaise that pervaded their approach. But as first single and Top 30 staple, the new wave crossover number 'Glitter' with its space filling killer loop and hook surfaced as a free mp3 back in August, I knew instantly that I needed to sit up and take notice.

From this track, it is clear that the duo have honed their skills and have brought an increased intelligence to their songcraft that was there on occasion on Nouns, but is there in totality on this release. It gives short shrift to the notion that punk influenced music can't be smart music. Considered tone and tempo cascade forth from a strong central base, the backbone of each song providing the perfect platform for clever riffs, catchypop like melodies, killer loops (loops on a No Age record?), ambient reverb, and strained but fitting vocals thay expertly reflect, whether intentionally or otherwise, the uncertainty of the post modern world. Don't get me wrong though, for the manic pace and crunching and shredding sounds from Nouns are very much still there, witness 'Fever Dreaming and Depletion' that hit you fairly and squarely in the face just when you thought, judging from the first two tracks, that Randall and Spunt had undergone some sort of revolutionary transformation.

But transformation has occured. Everything In Between doesn't peter out after its first four tracks or descend into a one trick pony. 'Common Heat' sports a subtle hook alongside its familiar strum, 'Skinned' combines a military precision verse with an off kilter chorus while 'Katerpillar' provides a reflective late 80s shoegaze interlude. The mostly restrained second installment features the pop induced 'Valley Hump Crash' complete with warped guitar that gives the off the vibe of the Pixies or My Bloody Valentine. 'Sorts' sounds like an apocalytic dishevilled mess but fits and the loop and reverb of 'Dusted' will be stuck on your head for days. The introspective feel is back with the instrumental 'Positive Amputation' before the aptly titled, 'Shred And Transcend' rips forward with its brazen feedback infused punk dominated aethestic. No Age haven't exactly done what the title of this track suggests but the melody that sits underneath the noise here perfectly encapsulates the growth of the band. The final track, 'Chem Trails' is a wondrous call and reponse pop tune, wistful and joyous musically yet guarded and defiant lyrically.

The diverse arrangments and original sounds that render the Everything In Between simultaneously accessible yet difficult, familiar yet hard to pin down are the elements that put this album into the special category elevating it above the swirl of good albums and into the great. Randall and Spunt went some way towards vitality with Nouns but they have achieved that important music indicator here. The musical boundaries here are vast and No Age push their sound to the limit. They are now a fully fledged ideas band and that's one of the highest compliments you can bestow on anyone in the music world.

James Stocker - October 31, 2010

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