No Age - Nouns

  by Mark Rowland

published: 7 / 7 / 2008

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No Age fromed out of the ashes of LA avant noise band Wives. In many ways, No Age tread similar ground to their previous band, but in others, they have a much better grasp of melody. Most of the songs on 'Nouns', their first album for Sub Pop (and their first album proper - previous album 'Weirdo Rippers' was a compilation of singles and EPs) are top notch US indie rock songs, but the melodies are often buried under considerable noise - that's the way the band like it. Opener 'Miner' opens the album with hissy abstract noise before crashing into a song that sounds like a My Bloody Valentine record played at the wrong speed. 'Eraser' starts with a sweet staccato chord progression surrounded by more MBV swirling guitars, before upping the noise a notch as the surprisingly catchy vocals kick in. 'Teen Creeps' is similar, vaguely reminiscent of Sonic Youth's rockier moments. 'Things I did When I Was Dead' slows the pace but maintains the tension with jarring psycho-like electronic stabs behind the sweet guitar sounds and simple vocal melody. 'Cappo' ups the pace again, but maintains a melodic guitar sound, the vocals slightly higher in the mix than previous tracks on the album. Again, the track reveals a surprisingly catchy vocal melody and sans heavy distortion, the song would not be out of place on an album by Tapes n Tapes or a similar melodic indie rock band. Instrumental 'Keechie' is the longest song on the album at three minutes and 27 seconds, mixing elements of post rock with, you guessed it, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth. 'Sleeper Hold' is another hooky, fuzz-drenched indie song, getting the levels of noise and melody in just the right balance. Another obvious reference point for the band is Lightning Bolt, which is present in the uber-distorted, melody hiding nature of many of their songs. The bass-heavy 'Errand Boy' has most in common with the 'Bolt and almost in answer to any comparisions to the band, they follow it with the trebly 'Here Should be My Home', a lo-fi indie song taking its cues from early Pavement and Sebadoh's noisier early works. It's hard to be both extremely noisy and very melodic in a convincing and engaging way, but those who get it right get it really right. With 'Nouns', No Age have managed to achieve this and in the process have created a lo fi noise record that may well be the most accessible of its kind this side of Pavement's 'Slanted and Enchanted'.

Track Listing:-

1 Miner
2 Eraser
3 Teen Creeps
4 Things I Did When I Was Dead
5 Cappo
6 Keechie
7 Sleeper Hold
8 Errand Boy
9 Here Should Be My Home
10 Impossible Bouquet
11 Ripped Knees
12 Brain Burner

Band Links:-

https://twitter.com/NoAgeLA
https://www.facebook.com/noagela/
http://noagela.org/
https://www.songkick.com/artists/558733-no-age

Label Links:-

https://www.subpop.com/
https://www.facebook.com/subpoprecords
https://plus.google.com/+subpop
https://twitter.com/subpop
http://subpop.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/subpoprecords

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