Baldi goes one further with the brevity factor in the middle of his self-titled album, throwing in frantic moments that are mere snatches of songs; it’s as if he can’t contain the pop melodies within and stops them almost as soon as he starts. Thus we get repeated statements more often than actual lyrics: “I don’t have a heartbeat, why do you?” demands Heartbeat multiple times (and then hangs up on you), while Rock manages to be both romantic and defeatist, with it’s driving “You love me but now we’re all dead”.
But there’s more to Baldi than mere snarling and hyperventilation. He also mellows out to a jangly guitar pop with a less abrasive, more dreamy sheen to it. It’s on the more heartfelt, insular moments like the regretful Should Have and Forgot You All The Time you’re reminded that it isn’t a full band thrashing away in the studio, just one person alone and playing all instruments. For afters, there’s a couple of bonus tracks: Oh I Know is well on par with what came before, but Dancer, a below-par Adam-Green-esque effort, is a step too far out of his circle.
Cloud Nothings absorbs a range of ‘90s influences from Gin Blossoms to Nirvana but, more importantly, it heralds a sprightly new talent with great promise. There’s certainly no shortage of pop hooks here.
