No Age’s Dean Spunt and Randy Randall have carved themselves a nearly impenetrable niche in the indie rock world. Their concerts project the power of a four piece band, when in actuality, thereis only a drummer and a guitar player. Their collages of sound can appear to be laid-back on the surface, but deep down, Spunt’s lyrics ask deep questions, look for hope, and look for love.
After the release of 2008’s “Nouns” LP, No Age was thrust to the indie rock forefront. Indie icons such as Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox and Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood gave the band positive reviews, boosting their profile. The next logical step seemed to be a follow-up LP to “Nouns.” Instead, Spunt and Randall went back to their roots with the four-song “Losing Feeling” EP.
Starting under a haze of noise from Randall’s guitar, the opening and title track makes listeners feel as if they are indeed losing feeling. Spunt’s drums are interspersed with guitar riff interludes, keeping Spunt’s vocals barely audible under the intense reverb, while the band stays close to their lo-fi roots, The song is vintage No Age and would fit in perfectly on “Nouns” or even the band’s debut, “Weirdo Rippers,” released in 2007.
The second track, “Genie,” changes the pace. The song’s tempo is slowed down and lacks drums, bringing focus to Spunt’s lyrics. “Genie” provides an introspective look into being alone. Spunt sings, “I would ask myself ‘What is me?’/ When I look into your life for you” before adding, “I was on my way to know how it feels to be alone / And it hurts my soul to think of you, only you.” The lyrics suggest a longing, desire, and confusion without love, something that Spunt feels will stay, as he closes the song with “And the world will never understand at all.”
“Aim At The Airport” provides the perfect rainy day instrumental for a fan of any genre of music. The constantly looped guitar fuzz creates an ambience that Randall improvises over. As a song that goes over three minutes, it doesn’t get old. The listener discovers new things at each listen, be it swings swinging, children laughing, or doors closing. Much like “Losing Feeling” and “Genie,” the song has a melancholy feel that makes the listener internalize their thoughts on the song.
Last but not least is the best song on the album, “You’re A Target.” The instrumentation of the song is similar to that of Kings of Leon on their latest album “Only By The Night,” but the instrumentation is where all comparisons end. This song hearkens back to No Age classics “Brain Burner” and “Ripped Knees” in its intensity, but instead of the raw aggressiveness found on those two songs from “Nouns,” Spunt seems more reserved in tone, but not in lyrics. He displays emotion in lines such as “My world gets ugly when you’re not with me” and later displays his independence, singing “No matter what / I’m already gone / No matter what / I can’t think at all.”
“You’re A Target” caps off an EP that makes the listener salivate for an LP. If No Age can make something this tight that lasts only 12 minutes, what will something that lasts 30 or 40 minutes sound like? The melancholy emotion drives the music home to the listener and makes the listener want more.
Dan Gallen can be reached for comment [email protected].