The formula for No Age, a winning one, for sure, is to make songs that are based around creating melodies from distortion, erratic guitars, and fast-paced drumming. Nouns is a gorgeously composed and performed record that follows that formula closely with punchy, short, feedback-driven punk numbers beautifully tied together. Though the vocals laced over the top are at times distant and shouty, often distorted and out of tune, they merge perfectly with the music.
No doubt you know No Age play a big part in the whole Smell scene, by now a fairly well-known factor in the underground for all the right reasons. Bands like No Age, Mika Miko, Silver Daggers, Abe Vigoda, and many others from the same locale are working hard to restore your faith in rock music. Nouns is the duo's first proper (i.e. not-a-compilation-of-singles) release of golden tracks, wrapped tight like dynamite and ready to explode upon play. The record is definitely lo-fi, with all the cracks and distortion sounding bad in all the right ways.
"Brain Burner" is the best summation of No Age, brimming with distortion, feedback, noise, or whatever. "Sleeper Hold" is on a similar frown-destroying tip. It's a punk gem that makes me hop around like I did when I was thirteen years old and first heard Operation Ivy. It's a simple, guiltless, anthemic pop song. "Things I Did When I Was Dead" is a piece of psychedelia that pensively showcases a low-key, screeching sample layered with swaths of keyboard and guitars. "Keechie" and "Impossible Bouquet" are two tracks layered in shimmer and fuzz like the shoegaze of the nineties.
The quality of Nouns is due to the fact that it takes a few listens through to realize the massive differences between the tracks which, at a first glance, seem to be very similar. The real strength of this album comes from the way in which the songs sound like sloppy singalongs of angst and fun, yet the band still seem to be in complete control of their sound. There isn't a dull moment on the entire record. It is a raw, rock, punk music adventure full of catchy tunes, void of any sense that the band is trying to create “their pop song.” Nothing sounds forced and the unpredictable nature of the record is what makes it such a pleasure to listen to. Or maybe it's just their timing, with their chaotic sound of static, angst, and distortion sounding so distant from the current style of shiny rock music, that makes this record sound so fresh and creative.
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