Cloud Nothings Roar To Life In "Last Building Burning"

Punk has evolved into a very empirical genre, where the artist can truly make every moment of every song count. Cloud Nothings‘ great blend of raw emotion and melody has been a shining light in punk music for years, and that’s no different in their latest record. Cloud Nothings roar to life in Last Building Burning, a punchy and angry album that doesn’t stray away from reality.

Last Building Burning doesn’t take a single second to start going. Opening track ‘On An Edge‘ kicks things off with an immediately intense start, guitars and drums pounding together with scratchy screams to really capture a tortured, chaotic scene. This type of anger is drawn upon often on the record, including in ‘So Right So Clean,’ where the band really lets loose and hold nothing back. This energy hits a peak in ‘The Echo Of The World,’ where the slightly messy production pairs nicely with the confused drama of the track.

While Cloud Nothings definitely has a bone to pick with the world in Last Building Burning, there’s much more personal things going on within the record. The songs where Cloud Nothings slow things down or move to a softer sound let them more simply articulate what they’re feeling, like in the more accessible ‘Leave Him Now,’ where they plead for someone to leave their partner before they get hurt. ‘Offer An End‘ is another softer track, sung verses coming in nicely and almost intimately as the drums bring a lot of drive. Closing track ‘Another Way Of Life‘ ties the album together in a weirdly optimistic way, as if it were trying to find the energy to accept the truth of the situation. Perhaps the most dynamic track on the album is the 10-minute ‘Dissolution,’ which starts energetically but then lethargically builds with this intense, dark rage. It’s like the centerpiece of the album, getting across what it does slowly but effectively.

Cloud Nothings roar to life in Last Building Burning, taking all of their rage and emotion and channeling it in every second of this record. This record is as intimate as it is on a larger scale, yet it all comes together to give you the picture of one tortured man. There’s a lot that went into this album, and a lot to take out of it, too.

Favorite Track: Leave Him Now

Least Favorite Track: The Echo Of The World

Rating: 75 / 100

Stream or buy Last Building Burning on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: