Cloud Nothings

It wasn't that long ago that Dylan Baldi was recording songs on a computer in his parents’ suburban Cleveland basement, but transformations come quickly in the information age. By early 2011, his self-titled full-length debut as Cloud Nothings was buzzing, and young Baldi—who played every instrument on the album—enjoyed a reputation as something of an indie wünderkind. That may overstate the case, but Cloud Nothings’ punky indie rock perfectly captures the sound of post-adolescence, before the onset of real adulthood, which arrives on the follow-up Attack On Memory. Extra muscle from a backing band and typical production work from Steve Albini feed Attack’s maturation, but the most significant growth is in Baldi’s songwriting, which opens up wide spaces and lets the fury beneath breathe and bellow.

Updated 03/10/2012