Nothing - Tired Of Tomorrow Album Review

In 2014 Nothing announced themselves to the world as one of the strongest shoegaze bands going with debut full length 'Guilty Of Everything.' This record was released on extreme metal powerhouse 'Relapse Records' with Nothing sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the label's roster. However, it also made a lot of sense for Nothing to be on this label as they have a darkness underlying their music with sombreness and frustration being felt in the playing, but in true shoegaze fashion this darkness is married with delicate and hazy soundscapes making for a yin and yang type sound. They're back with new record 'Tired Of Tomorrow' which is also on Relapse and also contributes to Nothing's status as one of the finest shoegaze bands going. 

'Fever Queen' opens this thing off with a bang, or at least as much of a bang as you could expect from Nothing's sedated brand of shoegaze, with stompy guitar stabs that are simultaneously blissful from it being melodic chords injected with soothing delay effects which are being hammered out, before drifting off into a breezier vibe.  

'The Dead Are Dumb' feels like a comedown in comparison, just being blissful with guitars that lounge about and drums being kept light and simple making for a romantic atmosphere, like this would be a good soundtrack to cloud gazing with a lover. 'Vertigo Flowers' feels like contained excitement, the way this track jogs along at a steady pace, not being in too much of a rush. That excitement does eventually explode, towards the end when meatier riffs burst out which catch you off guard but then proceed to take you for the ride.

Across 'Tired Of Tomorrow' Nothing will be constantly be switching it up between being lively and laid back. This gives you times to feel tranquil, but doesn't keep you there too long so you never become comatose and you don't get tired of the gentle parts, as they never overstay their welcome. 'Nineteen Ninety Heaven' is heavenly blissful, the way the pretty guitars feel like rays of sunlight beaming through stained glass windows in a church, but this track is followed by 'Curse Of The Sun' which is armed with dirty guitars made by much mucky distortion and ghostly vocals juxtapose so it's this perfect middle ground of being beautiful and ugly, peaceful and menacing.

'Eaten By Worms' counters derelict parts, made by fractured guitar notes or piano keys, with huge walls of fuzz. It seems Nothing can manipulate the quiet/loud approach to songwriting in any way they see fit and excel whichever route they choose to go down, always keeping things fresh, always keeping you on your toes. 'Our Plague' builds up with three minutes of light, gentle guitar strokes and the omnipresent blissful vocals before the rest of the song becomes feedback droning into the sunset, albeit with the occasional chords being strummed to keep you locked in. 

Closer 'Tired Of Tomorrow' takes a left turn being a morbid piano led song, with sombre strings adding to the mix making this truly feel like funeral music. On a record where Nothing display their ability to do a lot with the basic shoegaze formula of abstract vocals, much fuzz and roaming direction, this track sees Nothing going the extra mile to throw a cog in the works, stepping outside their comfort zone and it really pays off being an accomplished song with classical instrumentation, where the strings in particular are stunning, not always there but boosting the feel when they're in play.

Overall, with 'Tired Of Tomorrow' Nothing have created a record that's constantly gripping and unpredictable. There's a lot of duality to this record in terms of it being both quiet and loud, light and dark, peaceful and hostile, but whichever angle Nothing find themselves at on the shoegaze spectrum, they know how to push to make an impact, making for probably the strongest release the genre will see all year.