NØMADS– ‘Free My Animal’ (Out April 8 via Mecca Lecca)

Brooklyn’s post-punk duo NØMADS debut album ‘Free My Animal lands’ April 8th. Anyone already beguiled by earlier single releases ‘In The Mend’ and ‘Free My Animal’ would also earn more interest in the two piece band. So it’s not too much of a shock, that  the album starts with both songs creating  a familiar and strong positive introduction to their debut LP, with their emotionally edge circling over  broken, lo-fi, brooding come downbeat guitars; the opening songs all work well, with ‘The Cosmos’ proving the equal of the album predecessors, sounding complete with a still drenched alternative song, but from the lighter side. No leap in tracing at least some of the band’s influences, Fugazi, Girls Against Boys, Nirvana all form some of NØMADS sound palette, but before any writes them up into a nice little box, the band are much more than the sum of their parts, for starters, the fusion of sounds is not as mandatory or perhaps as rigid in terms of anything that has charmed before. Listen to ‘Summer Of The Open Wide’ and you can trace healthy influences reimagined but hear the slow building, thoroughly recommended  ‘Disguises’ and you have a strong argument that while teachers tried calming the chemistry lab fire, these two were developing a new formula mish-mashed with some of their favourite bands, all to the duo’s benefit.

‘In The Mend’

‘Free My Animal’ is short, at only eight tracks, but the upside their are no filler tracks, the band seem adept at conveying  occasional darker melody versus with an satisfying degree of aggression, wish the tempo and directness of say Fugazl or Screaming Trees could have surfaced on the debut, but there is time yet. NØMADS are like a lost friend reunited,  their is enough to appreciate what the noise is about. ‘Free My Animal’ as a result, measures up very well. 8.2/10
Steve Janes

‘Free My Animal’