“Kamikaze” is way too safe of a song, and again, it sounds like something off of Night Visions. Specifically, on the airy “Sounds of Awakening,” Petrrica uses the same exact auto-tune effect as Phil Collins on, “In the Air Tonight.” The problem is none of the styles of these tracks sound significantly different from an Imagine Dragons single, or a ballad from The 1975. Sadly, they couldn’t re-create the success of “Shut Up and Dance” this time around, but there is definitely an effort put forth on a few of these songs here. I especially like the almost Christmas-like approach to the background vocals at the very end of the track.Įven with the ridiculous lyrics on the following song, “Headphones,” (“I can take a beating like a good pair of headphones”) at least Elizondo brings some energy to the instrumentals, especially with the noisy guitar riff, and punk-like aesthetic. One of the few times that I don’t feel this way is on the very first song, “Press Restart.” The band has this atmospheric sound mixed with off-the-wall instrumentation that actually sounds a lot more modernistic, especially for a guy like Crossey. Much like on Nothing But Thieves’ new album earlier in the year, Mike Crossey couldn’t create anything more than tracks that could have been found on any 1975 or Arctic Monkeys album from the past. Instead, Walk The Moon throws together a record with material that sounds like something from any number of their alternative pop/rock contemporaries. Ironically, with so much quirky production going on, What If Nothing lacks vigor and inventiveness. The 80s-inspired New Wave group from Ohio show a good level of consistency on their latest effort, alternating back-and-forth between producers Mike Crossey and Mike Elizondo, with Crossey doing most of the work. Following a successful 2014, in which the mega-hit “Shut Up and Dance,” reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Chart and the Billboard Rock Songs chart, Nick Petricca and company try to catch that magic in a bottle once again for their fourth time around.
Regardless, their fourth studio album, What if Nothing, hit stores this past Friday. What If Nothing is a good record, spotty at 13 songs, but would have sounded even much better at 10.It’s tough to release an album if you’re Walk The Moon when Taylor Swift comes out with her own highly anticipated album and Eminem releases a song with Beyonce on the same day. Sound of Awakening is a synth-heavy sketch that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Headphones is only the second song and an absolute dud, with lead singer Nicholas Petricca name-checking Harrison Ford and The Karate Kid in his tuneless, speak-sung verses. On the other hand, Walk the Moon has padded each album with a few cringe-worthy tracks. And the disc's opening track Press Restart is as effortlessly cool as anything the band has done so far. Tiger Teeth and In My Mind aren't as instantly memorable, but they sneak up and sink in. One Foot has been deservedly climbing the charts, on its way toward inevitable pop station overkill. Their third album What If Nothing is as light and listenable as their first two, with a handful of damn good tracks. Here's hoping that kind of sellout doesn't happen to Walk The Moon.
Once those Top 40 checks start rolling in, the tendency is to lean into the pop world.
But they're scrappy enough to maintain some cred with the indie-rock crowd. They're savvy enough to write huge mainstream crossover anthems, first with Shut Up And Dance, and now with One Foot.
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