The Black Hole Understands - Cloud Nothings: Review
are a Cleveland based indie and punk rock band fronted by Dylan Baldi. The group made major waves with their breakout 2012 record Attack On Memory and since then has settled into a pretty consistent series of short but critically successful indie rock albums. Black Hole was a first for the band recorded during quarantine by sharing files and recordings back and forth digitally.
Review By Lavender:
I really enjoy Cloud Nothings and just about always have. From the fiery punk rock of earlier to records to the more comfortable indie tinged pop punk of their latest work the band has been pretty pleasing throughout. On Black Hole the band is executing a simple formula that makes the record stand out from many of their other releases. The songs here are very simple structurally with none of them reaching past 4 minutes and the sound of the record is overtly pop punk and summery despite some of the lyrical themes. With one of the lightest and least indulgent sounds of any record in the bands catalog I enjoy pieces of this record a lot but mostly wish these songs hit just a little harder.
Many of the records weakest tracks are simply uninteresting sounds or songs that really only have one trick and drag on big time in the second half of the track. Memory Of Regret and An Average World are two examples of songs that don't really make it interesting past the halfway point. A Weird Interaction and Right On The Edge are a pair of tracks that are just a bit too sugary for my taste and lack some of the edge that has made the bands music so appealing to me. But pretty much everything else here justifies its purpose pretty quickly.
The opening track Story That I Live is a pop punk flavored summer ballad and while it sets the tone for the second half of tracks being repetitive I still enjoy it and I think the sweet instrumental goes perfect with the emotional performance. The Sound Of Everyone is a track that could hav come right off the bands third record with its driving bouncy drum loop and washed out passionate vocals. The songwriting is simple but the song is undoubtedly a good listen. Tall Grey Structure is an instrumental piece that I particularly enjoy because it brings the bite that the groups music has always had. The guitars are short and to the point which I think is fair and I quite enjoy its inclusion.
A Silent Reaction is a song that snuck up on me with its indie pop hook that sounds as ready for the beach as a Best Coast song. This comes paired with some of the harder riffing on the record to make for a highlight and a track I was always excited to return to. The Mess Is Permanent brings in some attitude laced vocals on the verses of the track. It's an interesting and rousing track that's a touch simple but I can get with it. The Black Hole Understands is the title track and closing track and it brings the strongest lyrical concept on the record. I love the idea of the black hole mirroring how so many people are probably feeling right now, the smooth vocal delivery helps get this point across and it ends the record on a major high point.
The Black Hole Understands is a change of pace for Cloud Nothings but some of the inherent charm of their music certainly translates. Unfortunately without the edge and unique song structures this record is easy on the ears and comfortable in the moment but may not hold up to as many repeat listens as I would like. The good fundamentals the record puts on display however are more than enough to make the listen enjoyable and make it worth recommending to any fans of the band. 6/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
This cover has a vintage scrapbook feel to it giving the viewer a sense of nostalgia, The composition of the frame inside a frame is a great way to separate the focus from the text and I think it did it's job well. The image isn't anything super amazing but it seems like a simple dead pan style look through the artists eyes. Overall, it has just enough to be successful. 4/10
For more indie rock check out my review of HAIM's Women In Music Pt. 3 here
