Even though the members of A.M. Stations are spread out across the Midwest they’ve managed to write and record what may be their strongest release to date. The new album Nonsense is out everywhere next Friday 9/28 and it’s quickly finding its way into our heavy rotation.
The album’s opener “Even The Sunbeams” kicks off with driving bass and drums that do well to set the tone. The song has a poetic post-punk vocal delivery that mixes nicely with the dissonant guitar noise. Lyrically the song has a nice imperfect rhyme scheme in verses like: “as I came to my senses I smelled just like rain / I smelled just like sulfur / unwelcome disdain / the terror then clouded my yellow sore eyes / as I could make out your body’s outline”.
The lead single “Things That Just Happen” picks up the pace a bit with a catchy bass line and gang vocals that should appeal to a wide variety of you punk fans out there. The wall of washy, distorted guitars is sporadically broken by some heavy little riffs at all the right moments. It’s the only track available to stream prior to the release and certainly an instant standout.
“Attic Money” is another quick affair that has a real early ’90s feel—think Pavement meets Nirvana but a helluva lot louder and crunchier. “Milk Siblings” shows off the melodic side of the band with a mellow but intricate bass groove that leads into a Sebadoh-esque indie rock tune. The minimal guitar bits eventually grow to a raucous climax by the time the song hits the 2-minute mark. The overall composition is impressive—the song switches gears on a dime but at no point do the changes seem out of place or random. This 5 1/2 minute epic provides a perfect midpoint to the album.
Into the second half of the disc sits “Charred Wings”. The laid back intro and verse call to mind Sonic Youth’s melodic guitar work up until the screeching vocals kick in and remind you once again of the heavier side of the band. By this point in the album A.M. Stations are really stretching out and exploring the musical playground they’ve created for themselves. Songs like “Twinflower” and “Spelunk” keep the energy up and really showcase the musicianship of the band and their ability to craft ear-piercing yet highly accessible songs. The guitars are crunchy and flat-out gross in spots but damn does it work for A.M. Stations.
The album’s closer “Wolves” is another prime example of how well these three musicians work together. The 6-minute track is a slow-burning crunchy number that devolves into utter chaos by the end with guitarist Bill Tucker digging into his guitar with an old microphone acting as a makeshift slide. The wall of noise lasts just long enough to satiate all you experimental noise fans but short enough to keep the average rocker holding on until the very last bit of feedback trails off. The closing lines feel like a universal epitaph to the idealistic hope we lose in the process of growing up—”programmed to lose we lost it all / no map or even clues / programmed to have no dreams come true / try to take it off”.
Nonsense doesn’t fuck around. There’s not a single song on this album that feels like “filler” or seems half-assed. That being said, the album doesn’t feel contrived or over-produced either. A.M. Stations have crafted a beautifully diverse 30 minutes of music that remains interesting from start to finish. This album is a perfect document of three musicians dealing with the challenges of DIY recording, collaborative songwriting, and regular old real-life problems over the course of three years. With any creative endeavor the artist has to come to grips with the fact that the finished product will never quite live up to the original vision in their mind but I’d have to guess that Nonsense comes pretty damn close. Read more about the process of creating this little masterpiece in our interview with the band from earlier this month.
The album is available for Pre-Order on CD & Cassette formats via the links below but if you’re in the mood to party you can pick up a copy in person at the 1980 Records Party Timessss 1988 fest next weekend. The official release show for Nonsense is Sunday 9/30 and features a stacked bill of Midwestern garage psych & shoegaze acts, check out the full lineup and poster below.
Pre-Order Cassette | Pre-Order CD
A.M. Stations Official | Bandcamp | Facebook
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