Nothing – ‘Dance On The Blacktop’ (Album Review)
Although Dance On The Blacktop deals with self-directed negativity, misanthropy, and our species’ cosmic insignificance – and its title is prison slang for rec-time beatings and assassinations – this is not an album you should listen to while operating heavy machinery. Nothing have their signature brand of gritty, heavily distorted shoegazing so extensively refined that they can even embrace on-record imperfections and come away sounding beautiful. Compositionally, Dance On The Blacktop is not the most diverse set ever, but it is consistently mesmerizing nonetheless.
Recorded with the assistance of Sonic Youth / Dinosaur Jr producer John Agnello, and corralling a range of alternative ‘90s styles to spellbinding and frequently drowsy effect, Nothing’s latest beckons invitingly to those who need a decent chill session, but don’t want to go as far as listening to whale music or birdsong. Advance single The Carpenter’s Son stands far apart from its peers thanks to an extra-slow tempo (and notes so fastidiously spaced apart that they might as well have been written according to the principles of feng shui), while second personal highlight I Hate The Flowers incorporates just enough variety and melodic movement to distance itself from Dance On The Blacktop’s other heavier cuts. This album will satisfy shoegaze fans everywhere, although it would be cool to hear Nothing push the boat out at least a little further next time.
LTK RATING: 7/10
Dance On The Blacktop drops August 24; get it on iTunes here.
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