bless this noise. nouns is actually no age’s first proper album, since last year’s weirdo rippers was a compilation of songs from their earlier EPs. stylistically, not much has changed since then as they stick to their lo-fi roots, using bands like my bloody valentine and the jesus and mary chain as touchstones for their pop-meets-noise approach. weirdo rippers was surprisingly fluid for a compilation; it maintained a very disorientating, hallucinatory focus that was instantly appealing and remarkable. nouns succeeds in establishing that fluidity once more, as the droning qualities of one song bleed into the turbulent dissonance of the next. although the sequencing might be fluid, each song still stands on it’s own as they vary from loud distorted chaos (“eraser”) to layered, dreamy, delicate pieces (“things i did when i was dead”). on nouns, no age further demonstrate their deep understanding of pop sensibilities, noise and melody, making this well-crafted and beautiful album a joy to listen to.
Filed under: Album Review , 2008, no age, nouns, the smell, weirdo rippers
