No Age - Everything In Between

The rough-edged greatness of 2007's Weirdo Rippers announced the arrival of a new name on the L.A. noise rock scene, following the demise of hardcore trio Wives. Two-thirds of that outfit again joined forces for the following year's more focused - though no less exhilarating - Nouns, and it quickly became clear (as anyone who's witnessed their raucous live shows will attest) that No Age were no mere scene also-rans. For their third full-length release, and second for the legendary Sub Pop stable, guitarist Randy Randall and drummer Dean Allen Spunt follow in the footsteps of recent two-piece wonders like Japandroids in making a record of much larger scope and sound than their minimal set-up would seem to allow.

Whether they're echoing the gothic teen sadness of The Cure (the extremely sweet ‘Glitter’), leaning into the poppier side of Sonic Youth (‘Skinned’ - a whirl of scattershot beats and world-ending guitar with plaintive, muttered vocals) or reaching out towards the whined vocals and awkward changes of Pavement (‘Sorts’ - a fax-machine-beat-driven track that lopes and collapses beautifully), this is the sound of a musically adventurous duo stretching their limitations. It’s arguably on the instrumental tracks, though, like the My Bloody Valentine-esque ‘Dusted’ and the striving, epic ‘Katerpillar’, that the pair are at their most affecting, sometimes even recalling the damaged beauty of the likes of Eric’s Trip, or even the tragically underrated Drop Nineteens.

When they shake their pop thing on tracks like 'Valley Hump Crash' and the closing brace of ‘Shred and Transcend’ and ‘Chem Trails’, they perhaps show a little weakness – too retro maybe? Or a touch too Californian Alt. Rock-by-numbers for their own good?... Nothing, however, can detract from the centerpiece of this record: the awesome ‘Positive Amputation’. Awash in a sea of guitar, a lone lead line waves for rescue while a tender piano accents the forward momentum of the track – it’s a true post-rock delight.

So, while there’s no huge crossover track to be found here, Everything In Between is nonetheless an admirable, sometimes naïve, sometimes emotionally-charged third outing that will find a happy home in any American Indie fan’s collection.