The new album from Cloud Nothings, Attack on Memory, was one of the first in 2012 to make some serious waves. Right now it has everyone talking, and what they’re talking a lot about is the return of emo. Now, if you’re anything like me, you might hear the word “emo,” and run for the hills. The genre may or may not bring back bad memories of those annoying kids from your high school, gathered in a pack outside the cafeteria, listening to those whiny bands who played on the radio and wore a lot of eyeliner (but not in the cool, glam-rock, sort-of Bowie way.) The more I think about it, though, this association is only proof that emo is truly in need of a make-over, a new beginning, a clean slate. If emo is so desperately in need of a comeback, Cloud Nothings just may be the perfect comeback kids to answer the call.

What you’ll find on Attack on Memory isn’t just a return to the early– and most importantly, good– days of emo, which sprang out of the Washington D.C. hardcore movement of the mid-1980s; there are nods to and elements of several different genres scattered throughout. First single “No Future/No Past” is a grungy, melodic anthem that slowly builds to an intense, emotional climax. When Dylan Baldi screeches out his raw, guttural battle cries, you just might think it’s Frank Black emerging from the other side of your earbuds. “Wasted Days,” at nearly nine minutes long, is an epic sampling of early 90s alt-rock with some angular, post-punk riffs thrown in just for good measure. Pitchfork called it Cloud Nothings’ “answer to the Foo Fighters’ ‘Everlong.’” Somehow, it already feels like a classic.

There’s also lighter fare, such as “Fall In” and standout single “Stay Useless,” the latter of which is a catchy, poppy, jangly little punk gem of a song. Its lyrics are shockingly simple, but perfect, really, in their ability to capture the feelings of youth; that moment in time when you just “need something to do/somewhere to go.” The second half of the album might lose just a little bit of steam, but thankfully, the band chose to limit the number of tracks to a crisp and compact eight. The shorter album length only makes the grand moments feel more grand, the small moments feel more appreciated.

And it isn’t just emo that’s getting its fresh start with the album. No longer Baldi’s solo project, Attack on Memory is the first release since Cloud Nothings expanded into a full band, and the difference is immediately clear. A daring and fresh offering tinged with the just the right amounts of nostalgia, Attack on Memory is certainly a lot of things, but it just might be the first great album of 2012.

4 / 5 bars

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Cloud Nothings – No Future No Past

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Cloud Nothings – wasted days

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Cloud Nothings – Stay Useless

Guest post by Loren D