REVIEW: Cloud Nothings’ “Life Without Sound”

Cloud Nothings, Life Without Sound (Carpark)

Somewhere between the New Pornographers and the void that ’90s rock left us lies the straightforward but surprisingly satisfying new record from Cloud Nothings. Underneath a lot of simple but gripping composition the album has a lot brewing in the melodic hooks and the layering of sounds to create a sense of continuous wall-of-sound effect. The way they pop certain riffs, on tracks like “Entre Entirely,” recall the glory of early Weezer, and the build-up of songs like “Modern Act” show how effortlessly they can shift attitudes. Even for the pop-punk-wary, this album will draw you in with its passionate delivery, satisfying drums and powerful mastery of guitar production. 7/10 Trial Track: “Enter Entirely” (Owen Maxwell) Cloud Nothings play with opener LVL Up at Théâtre Fairmount (5240 Parc) on Saturday, Jan. 28, 9 p.m., $18