Nothine – Altruism (2023)
by Flork
With its dreamy beats and soothing melodies, the Bratislava-based alternative group Nothine caught my attention right off the bat. Their second release Altruism is one of those musical pieces that takes me back 30 years or so, when bands were still teetering between the sophistication of the New Wave of the 1980s and the emergence of grunge as a mainstream genre popular with the college crowd. Yet, Nothine is far from being a revival band or even a grunge band for that matter. In fact, the group is very fresh-sounding and original in their sound and songs, and listening to their latest Ep is a pleasing experience to the ears. There are, of course, moments of heaviness, such as in Paamy, a rocking tune full of catchy riffs and the perfectly-synced harmonies of Richard and Estrella, the two lead vocalists. But the majority of the compositions have a gentler and softer feel to them with touches of catharsis and energy. For example, the first two tracks, which are nameless and referred to as I and II, are soothing and introduce listeners to their introspective lyrics and captivating sound. Each instrument occupies its own space within the mix, creating a cohesive and balanced sound. But I admit that I enjoyed the vocals the most, especially because they are so expressive in conveying the emotions of each track, like the third and fourth tracks Summer and Veronica, both songs having light, almost positive melodies, yet the lyrics are sad and somewhat ironic in their contrast to the music (e.g., on Summer - over saturation maybe… or Veronica - the endless road, the painless road). The final track Butterfly’s Burial concludes Altruism. And much like the others (which all offer a diverse range of emotions), this is a track full of thought-provoking lyrics and lullaby vocals that highlights the vulnerability of life and its preciousness, of which we all seem to be complacent of.
Overall, I would say that Altruism is a standout album that deserves recognition. The production quality is commendable and was mixed and mastered by Richard himself. And this is important because it showcases the band’s ability to pay attention to detail while the listener gets to enjoy and immerse themselves in the layers of ambient exploration that are present in each song.
Although Altruism is a shorter creation than their previous album (un)World Days, it is nonetheless a well-crafted album that showcases Nothine’s artistic growth as they weave together introspective themes and lyrics with alternative pop and grunge. Nothine proves that they are a band to watch for in the alternative music theme.
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