LISTEN: “Nothing Without You”
PRE-ORDER: The Shadow I Remember
What The Press Is Saying About “Am I Something”:
“Classic Cloud Nothings”
Brooklyn Vegan
“a jagged and melodic return to form”
The FADER
“existentialism with killer guitar lines”
Paste
“The kind of cathartic uncertainty that’s best sung with hordes of other people”
Rolling Stone
Today, Cloud Nothings shares a new song from their forthcoming record The Shadow I Remember, due February 26th via Carpark Records. Released alongside a quirky video game, “Nothing Without You” finds the band operating at a breakneck pace without losing any of the songwriting sensibilities or catchiness for which the band is renowned. Following “The Spirit Of” and “Am I Something,” “Nothing Without You” is the third song released from The Shadow I Remember, which finds the band reunited with producer Steve Albini, who helmed the production for their breakout 2012 album Attack On Memory and finds Baldi exploring his place in the world as both a human and band a decade into its career.
Of the song and its accompanying game, Dylan Baldi shares: “‘Nothing Without You’ explores both the negative and positive aspects of dependency, whether it be on a person, a place, an object, or nothing at all. Jesse Jacobs and Vagabond Dog took that concept and filtered it through the ultimate needy creature, the Tamagotchi.”
Video game creator Jesse Jacobs adds: “Put your compassion to the test by providing care and protection to this new species of virtual pet. This fussy animal demands a quality diet, clean living environment, and righteous tunes.”
The band will perform live from The Grog Shop in Cleveland on February 17th for a Bandcamp album release livestream. The livestream schedule can be found below and tickets are available for $10 here.
8:00 AM Sun, February 28, 2021 AEDT Melbourne
9:00 PM Sat, February 27, 2021 GMT London
4:00 PM Sat, February 27, 2021 EST New York
1:00 PM Sat, February 27, 2021 PST Los Angeles
On January 29th, the band re-released their debut album Turning On. Recorded by Baldi on a computer in his parents’ basement, Turning On is an essential album to fully understand the world of Cloud Nothings. Including live staples like “Hey Cool Kid” and “Can’t Stay Awake,” Turning On is available on vinyl with its original tracklist, while the digital 10th anniversary deluxe edition includes all 13 tracks found in Carpark’s first edition of the album plus four new bonus live tracks. In conjunction with the release, the band shared a music video by bassist TJ Duke for the live rendition of “Can’t Stay Awake” that is featured on the deluxe edition.
Listen to and watch “Nothing Without You“ above, see The Shadow I Remember album details and tracklisting below, and stay tuned for more from Cloud Nothings by following the band on social media.
The Shadow I Remember cover art
Cloud Nothings
The Shadow I Remember
Carpark Records
February 26, 2021
1. Oslo
2. Nothing Without You
3. The Spirit Of
4. Only Light
5. Nara
6. Open Rain
7. Sound Of Alarm
8. Am I Something
9. It’s Love
10. A Longer Moon
11. The Room It Was
About Cloud Nothings:
For a band that resists repeating itself, picking up lessons from a decade prior is the strange route Cloud Nothings took to create their most fully-realized album. Their new record, The Shadow I Remember, marks eleven years of touring, a return to early songwriting practices, and revisiting the studio where they first recorded together. In a way not previously captured, this album expertly combines the group’s pummeling, aggressive approach with singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi’s extraordinary talent for perfect pop. To document this newly realized maturity, the group returned to producer Steve Albini and his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, where the band famously destroyed its initial reputation as a bedroom solo project with the release of 2012 album Attack on Memory.
Another throwback was Baldi’s return to constant songwriting à la the early solo days, which led to the nearly 30 demos that became the 11 songs on The Shadow I Remember. Instead of sticking to a tried-but-true formula, his songwriting stretched out while digging deeper into his melodic talents. “I felt like I was locked in a character,” Baldi says of becoming a reliable supplier of heavy, hook-filled rock songs. “I felt like I was playing a role and not myself. I really didn’t like that role.” More frequent writing led to the freedom in form heard on The Shadow I Remember. What he can’t do alone is get loud and play noisily, which is exactly what happened when the entire band— bassist TJ Duke, guitarist Chris Brown, and drummer Jayson Gerycz—convened.
The band had more fun in the studio than they’ve had in years, playing in their signature, pulverizing way, while also trying new things. The absurdly catchy “Nothing Without You” includes a first for the band: Macie Stewart of Ohmme contributes guest vocals. Elsewhere, celebrated electronic composer Brett Naucke adds subtle synthesizer parts.
The songs are kept trim, mostly around the three-minute mark, while being gleefully overstuffed. Almost every musical part turns into at least two parts, with guitar and drums opening up and the bass switching gears. “That’s the goal—I want the three-minute song to be an epic,” Baldi says. “That’s the short version of the long-ass jam.”
Lyrically, Baldi delivers an aching exploration of tortured existence, punishing self-doubt, and the familiar pangs of oppressive mystery. “Am I something?” Baldi screams on the song of the same name. “Does anybody living out there really need me?” It’s a heartbreaking admission of existential confusion, delivered hoarsely, with an instantly relatable melody.
“Is this the end/ of the life I’ve known?” he asks on album opener “Oslo.” “Am I older now/ or am I just another age?” Despite the questioning lyrics, the band plays with more assurance and joy than ever before. The Shadow I Remember announces Cloud Nothings’ second decade and it sounds like a new beginning.
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