An alternative rock band referred to as “Nothing” possesses one of the most touching indie rock albums ever.

While the band’s name might imply that they do not create anything memorable or touching, this is simply not the case.

On March 14, 2014, the album titled, “Guilty of Everything” was released.

The album blends alternative rock, shoegaze and dream pop into a cohesive masterpiece.

Shoegaze is an underground rock genre that was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The genre consists of dreamy, distorted guitars, and reverb-soaked vocals.

The instruments and vocals are meant to mesh and blend to become one, rather than the singing overpowering everything else.

Nothing’s lead singer and guitarist, Domenic Palermo, forged something truly gorgeous and impactful.

Stemming from post hardcore roots and having a mother that was a fan of Slowdive, Palermo brings a swirling background of vibrations and an expansive repertoire of noise.

This masterpiece begins with a soft strum pattern and a tranquilizing chord progression that is titled, “Hymn to the Pillory.”

This track comes together elegantly when the drums and bass kick in at one and a half minutes, and it develops into a thick, textured experience.

The track ends with guitar feedback and transitions into the second track, “Dig.”

This song is a faster paced track with a small guitar intro, and the drums and bass guitar enter much faster than the opening track.

Brandon Setta, guitarist and vocalist of the band states that, “I will not pretend I am happy, you are finally happy.”

These lyrics present nihilism and bitterness, most likely towards a past relationship.

Nothing presents brutal honesty and gut wrenching feelings in many of their lyrics.

The mumbled, whisper vocals paired with heavy guitars creates a familiar sound that was perfected in the ‘90s.

However Nothing is able to put their own spin on this sound and with this album they brought something refreshing to the genre.

My personal favorite song is the fifth track of the record titled, “Somersault.”

This four-minute song lingers with a slow guitar introduction that is drenched in reverb and delay.

These tones create an endless atmosphere of oblivion and it makes you feel like you’re floating in an abyss.

The drums and bass are introduced just before the one-minute mark, with whispering vocals to accompany them.

“Somersault” remains a timid ethereal track, with steady fingerpicking until the heaviness engulfs the track just before the three-minute mark.

Setta and Palermo sing, “I’m spinning faster than the earth, I’m shining brighter than the stars.”

This metaphor is used well, as the entire track sounds like something that would come out of the eerie depths of space.

Nothing incorporates some excellent drum fills during the crescendo of this track as well.

The song comes to a slow ending, with hissing guitars and a gradual fade of sound.

The sixth track of the album “Get Well” has hints of Nirvana in the main guitar progression.

Listeners will also be able to pick up on hints of Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine on tracks like, “Guilty of Everything.”

This four-minute tune develops with twinkling, sparkling guitars and numbing voices, as well as a thumping bass line that accommodates the song gloriously.

At this point in the album the band has completely given up.

“I’ll wait for you to go away again, And I will push you far away, I’ve given up. But you shoot anyway, I’m guilty of everything.”

It becomes blatantly coherent that Palermo and the rest of the band are completely exhausted by life, and it appears this song was strategically placed at the end of the album to represent that feeling.

This album is a whirlwind of emotions and it has a hypnotic quiet/loud scheme that was so popular in the 1990s.

“Guilty of Everything” has a way of drawing the listener in by producing ethereal soundscapes that are accompanied by sudden bursts of overdrive.

This contrast creates an emotional rollercoaster and keeps you waiting for the next wave of fuzz.

This record goes through many stages of somberness, heaviness, excitement and tranquility.
Interpretation is everything, each listener will probably analyze this record in a different way and that is the beauty of it and music in general.