Nothing’s Guilty of Everything is a pretty solid album. Dreamy, fuzzed out, heavy-kinda-shoegazey rock. It reminds me of earlier Starflyer 59—particularly the Silver and Gold albums—as well as, Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins and Hum. It also pissed off a bunch of metal heads because it came out on Relapse Records. Things that rile up the metal community are usually pretty entertaining, so this gave me more of a reason to follow this band. (Just read the forums in www.returntothepit.com; you will thank me later.)
So, this brings me to their half of this split with Whirr. Just to preface this review, as far as this style of shoegaze-rock stuff goes, I do prefer the noisier and more drugged out sounding bands. Nothing’s first track, “Chloroform,” just kind of drifted by leaving nothing behind. Their second track, “July the Fourth” was definitely a bit meatier, but again offered nothing new. Both tracks had some dreamy melodies, but I found it to be unremarkable and safe.
Whirr has become one of my favorite bands over the last couple of years and I recommend their two full lengths, Sway and Pipe Dreams. Plus, their internet sass and Pitchfork attack also made me love them even more (check out this link http://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2014/03/28/whirr-pissed-off-the-internet-but-theyre-handling-it-quite-well/). Their first song on the split, “Ease,” is my favorite song on the whole record—definitely the most upbeat and interesting of the bunch. Their second track, “Lean” was just kind of there. Again, it felt too safe.
I like and respect both of these bands, but this split was just too tame. With the exception of “Ease,” the rest just kind of left me wanting to hear their other albums.
Rating: 3 out of 6 Doves Prince overheard this record and he didn’t even miss a sip of his Minnetonka Spritzer. In fact he felt it was pretty complacent and safe; he has finger-wrangled some B list actresses that were more dangerous than this record. All in all it bores him, but he’s not angered.