Cloud Nothings - Turning On

Lo-fi has a tendency to split listeners. Some are turned off by its lack of clarity, seeing it as merely a way of going about attracting a certain type of consumer or further still distorting the sound in order to cover up a lack of talent. Others are less cynical, with the lower quality recording only adding to its authenticity, acting as a platform for progression. If nothing else, it enables artists to carve out a name for themselves at a relatively inexpensive cost.

This inevitably sees the genre become somewhat overcrowded with bands striving to stick their head above the pack. You can sympathise with its detractors struggling to unpick the horde of lo-fi bands with any sort of conviction. Distinguishing characteristics between one artist and the next become blurred and any sort of individualism fuzzes as much as the tracks they are offering up.

So, with all that considered, it’s pretty refreshing to be presented with an album that is guilty of all the aforementioned features and yet you find yourself restraining from shouting “get in the studio!” throughout. Well, maybe once or twice. At only 19 years old Dylan Baldi has become quite the veteran of the lo-fi indie scene, popping up in numerous projects (Neon Tongues, Cat Killer, Ponyta) before embarking on a new venture under the alias Cloud Nothings.

The endeavour originally started as a one-man band but live demands have seen it expand accordingly. The record itself has also swelled since it weaned its way into blogosphere sometime last year. Standing at 13 tracks, ‘Turning On’ exceeds what we’ve come to expect from a debut record, but to its credit the old adage of quantity over quality is rarely evident.

Sure, there are songs here which overlap, proving to be enjoyable in the moment but somewhat unremarkable once their finished, but sat alongside them are some stirring injections of sheer exuberance.

Obvious highlight is single ‘Hey Cool Kid’, which in its simplest terms is a good-humoured poke at the hipster generation. But, more than that it’s an indication of the grasp Baldi oozes so effortlessly over the listener, enticing them in with the humblest of hooks but ensuring they don’t part with it for days to come.

Whilst some debut records would tail off struggling to maintain the enthusiasm that went before it, the latter half of ‘Turning On’ displays further zest and exhibits an artist positively blooming with material. ‘Morgan’ shouldn’t work with its almost undetectable lyrics, conversational interludes and relentless tempo but rather than being just an appealing noise it possesses sing-along urges, even if you are not quite sure what you are supposed to be emitting.

Preceding this is the sizzling ‘My little Raygun’, which takes the cloudy production to new depths, and ‘Strummin’’ a rare moment of lucidity where comparisons to Julian Casablancas unavoidably ensue. ‘Turning On’ is what it is, a collection of previously released songs from a newcomer bursting with ideas and desperate to do something about them. A more cohesive full length is in the works and should these fledgling upstarts be inexplicably afforded time for growth it could well be worth waiting for.