‘Everything in Between’ | No Age

| Cadenza Reporter


Despite their chronology-averse moniker, No Age seems to be going through their awkward adolescent phase. This L.A. noise-punk duo strives for a more mature sound but refuses to fully abandon the youthful recklessness of their previous work, resulting in a batch of songs stuck in a tepid middle ground. Even the album title, “Everything in Between,” suggests a period of creative limbo for the band.

That being said, No Age has an aptitude for pairing chaotic noisiness with a strong melodic backbone. This formula works wonders on the brash, foot-stomping sing-along “Skinned” and the emotionally distressed “Valley Hump Crash,” in which the increasingly desperate pleas of singer Dean Spunt are mirrored by rising swells of white noise and screeching guitars. The successful balance of noise and pop on some tracks makes it all the more frustrating when they neglect their pop sensibilities, either mumbling their way through songs or forgetting to sing them entirely (Really guys, THREE instrumentals!?)These flashes of greatness make me hope that next time, No Age will realize it’s possible to grow up and still be young at heart.

for fans of: Wavves, The Thermals, Sonic Youth
tracks to download: ‘Skinned,’ ‘Valley Hump Crash,’ ‘Chem Trails’

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