[rating=4.00]
The duo of drummer Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall have gained a lot of buzz as No Age and their newest release Everything In Between proves that the hype is well earned. The art-punk-pop LA fellas have crafted the rare beast: a catchy, freaked-out pasture of pumping drums and squealing guitars contained in garage DIY style that is not only listenable, but engaging.
While the disk isn’t perfect, there are glimpses of greatness when it comes to their song writing and musical craftsmanship. The delight of “Glitter” floats amongst the clouds; this is a single that will contend for best of the year with its Smiths vibe, rumble tom-tom and noodling-noise one-note guitar. “Skinned” twists the ear keeping you on edge with its jangling breakdowns, “Depletion” contains a raw SST vibe while “Common Heat” jingles with guitar strums and a lyrical Beatles “Help” nod.
The albums production and layering allows the group to sound larger then they are with the revving “Valley Hump Crash”, thumping kick of “Life Prowler” and punk fueled “Fever Dreaming”. Vocals are not the group’s strong point, but they rarely take away from the complex musicality and noise backdrops being presented.
Where No Age seems to be in need of a push is its artsy direction, the instrumentals “Sorts”, “Dusted” and “Katerpiller” play more as filler here than actual sonic experiments. That is a small quibble though as Everything In Between swings between minimalist and grandiose, managing to remain a compelling listen throughout.
