Attack on Memory

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title: "Attack on Memory" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2012-albums", "cloud-nothings-albums", "carpark-records-albums", "albums-produced-by-steve-albini", "wichita-recordings-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Memory" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameAttack on Memory
typestudio
artistCloud Nothings
coverCloud Nothings Attack on Memory album cover.jpg
released
recorded2011 at Electrical Audio
*Indie rock<ref nameallmusic/
*post-hardcore{{Cite weburl
length
labelCarpark, Wichita
producerSteve Albini
prev_titleCloud Nothings
prev_year2011
next_titleHere and Nowhere Else
next_year2014
::

| name = Attack on Memory | type = studio | artist = Cloud Nothings | cover = Cloud Nothings Attack on Memory album cover.jpg | alt = | released = | recorded = 2011 at Electrical Audio | venue = | studio = | genre =

Attack on Memory is the second studio album by American indie rock band Cloud Nothings, released on January 24, 2012, by Carpark Records. Produced by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, the recording sessions saw frontman Dylan Baldi's live band contributing as full-time members and co-writers. Attack on Memory features a heavier sound and darker songs, a sharp turn from the power pop of previous Cloud Nothings releases.

Recording

Production

Attack on Memory was engineered by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. Albini had a hands-off approach to recording the album during the four days Cloud Nothings recorded with him. Dylan Baldi claimed that Albini spent much of the recording time playing Scrabble and blogging, and that Albini never made any suggestions to the band.

Musical style

Attack on Memory saw a change in Cloud Nothings' musical style. While previous Cloud Nothings albums were pop albums, the tone of Attack on Memory is more aggressive. Dylan Baldi called the album a bunch of "depressing songs," and cited his boredom with power pop as attributable to the album's musical style. Additionally, the title was a reflection of Baldi's feelings towards Cloud Nothings' previous sound: "an attack on the memory of what people thought the band was."

For specific influences, Baldi cited Black Sabbath, Nina Hagen, Killdozer, Zounds, Thin Lizzy, The Wipers, Bitch Magnet and Swell Maps.

Release

Attack on Memory was first announced on October 28, 2011. The first single from the album was "No Future/No Past," released on November 7, 2011. "No Future/No Past" received a Best New Track designation from Pitchfork. The second single from the album was "Stay Useless," released December 9, 2011. Like "No Future/No Past," "Stay Useless" received a Best New Track designation from Pitchfork. A third track from Attack on Memory, "No Sentiment," was released on January 13, 2012. On January 17, 2012, the album was streamed in its entirety.

Reception

| ADM = 7.6/10 | MC = 83/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = The A.V. Club | rev2Score = A− | rev3 = The Guardian | rev3Score = | rev4 = Mojo | rev4Score = | rev5 = MSN Music (Expert Witness) | rev5Score = A− | rev6 = NME | rev6Score = 8/10 | rev7 = Pitchfork | rev7Score = 8.6/10 | rev8 = Q | rev8Score = | rev9 = Rolling Stone | rev9Score = | rev10 = Spin | rev10Score = 9/10 Attack on Memory has received strong reviews. The album has a score of 83 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, based on 33 reviews.

*Pitchfork*s Ian Cohen gave the album a Best New Album designation, writing "But like the best of indie's recent guitar bands that dare to skew retro [...] Attack on Memory is too visceral to feel like escapism, too vital to feel like cheap revival." Zachary Houle of PopMatters called the album "an album that was well worth the wait," writing "Hyper and frenzied, Attack on Memory has every right to be an anticipated early album of 2012. It’s great, catchy as hell, and bristling with retro rage and vitriol."

Tiny Mix Tapes' Conrad Tao, on the other hand, criticized the lyrics, writing "'No Future/No Past' and 'No Sentiment' work as anthems of angst but are lyrically confused, the former’s aggression at odds with its insistence on apathy while the latter has the worst line of the whole album: 'No nostalgia, no sentiment, we’re over it now.'" Adam Downer of Sputnikmusic also had a mixed reaction to the album, writing on the band's new sound: "They might misguidedly masquerade as something more 'authentic' by hiding behind a bunch of muddy bullshit, but the muddy bullshit is conspicuously calculated, which invalidates its purpose. In other words, they try not to be what they were previously by aping a different, heavier sound, and the resulting record's a hodgepodge."

Accolades

Pitchfork ranked Attack on Memory No. 19 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2012, writing: "For too long, indie bands didn’t want to get their hands dirty; with Attack on Memory, Cloud Nothings were out for blood." The album was listed at No. 21 on *Rolling Stone*s list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "Drums pummel, guitars chew scenery, and Baldi's scream makes old-school aggro-depression feel like new-school joy." The album was listed 6th on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012.

Track listing

All songs by Cloud Nothings. | title_width = 100 | title1 = No Future/No Past | length1 = 4:41 | title2 = Wasted Days | length2 = 8:54 | title3 = Fall In | length3 = 3:15 | title4 = Stay Useless | length4 = 2:46 | title5 = Separation | length5 = 3:04 | title6 = No Sentiment | length6 = 3:35 | title7 = Our Plans | length7 = 4:16 | title8 = Cut You | length8 = 3:16 | total_length = 33:47

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2012) | Peak position | |---|---| | US Billboard 200 | 121 | | US Top Heatseekers | 3 | | US Rock Albums | 37 | | US Independent Albums | 21 | | US Alternative Albums | 25 | ::

References

References

  1. "Attack on Memory by Cloud Nothings - RYM/Sonemic".
  2. Spin]]. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  3. Pelly, Jenn. [https://pitchfork.com/news/45065-cloud-nothings-talk-aggressive-new-steve-albini-produced-album/ Cloud Nothings Talk "Aggressive" New Steve Albini-Produced Album]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  4. Albini elaborated on Baldi's claim in an [[Reddit#IAmA and AMA
  5. Goble, Corban. [https://stereogum.com/883802/under-the-influence-cloud-nothings-attack-on-memory/tour-dates/ Under The Influence: Cloud Nothings Attack On Memory]. [[Stereogum]]. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  6. Pelly, Jenn. [https://pitchfork.com/news/44424-new-release-cloud-nothings-attack-on-memory/ New Release: Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  7. Cohen, Ian. [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12707-no-futureno-past/ Cloud Nothings "No Future/No Past"]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  8. Fitzmaurice, Larry. [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12873-stay-useless/ Cloud Nothings: Stay Useless]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  9. Fitzmaurice, Larry. [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12988-no-sentiment/ Cloud Nothings: "No Sentiment"]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  10. Pelly, Jenn. [https://pitchfork.com/news/45135-listen-to-cloud-nothings-new-album-attack-on-memory/ Listen to Cloud Nothings' New Album Attack on Memory]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  11. "Attack on Memory by Cloud Nothings reviews". AnyDecentMusic?.
  12. "Reviews for Attack On Memory by Cloud Nothings". [[Metacritic]].
  13. Phares, Heather. "Attack on Memory – Cloud Nothings". [[AllMusic]].
  14. Hyden, Steven. (January 24, 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack On Memory". [[The A.V. Club]].
  15. Hughes, Tom. (February 2, 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory – review". [[The Guardian]].
  16. (March 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory". [[Mojo (magazine).
  17. Christgau, Robert. (March 2, 2012). "Sleigh Bells/Cloud Nothings". [[MSN Music]].
  18. Monroe, Jazz. (February 3, 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory". [[NME]].
  19. Cohen, Ian. (January 23, 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory". [[Pitchfork (website).
  20. (March 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory". [[Q (magazine).
  21. Dolan, Jon. (January 18, 2012). "Attack on Memory".
  22. Martins, Chris. (January 31, 2012). "Cloud Nothings, 'Attack on Memory' (Carpark)". [[Spin (magazine).
  23. Roffman, Michael. (January 23, 2012). "Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory". [[Consequence of Sound]].
  24. Houle, Zach. (January 24, 2012). "Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory". [[PopMatters]].
  25. Tao, Conrad. "Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory". [[Tiny Mix Tapes]].
  26. Downer, Adam. (January 16, 2012). "Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory". Sputnikmusic.
  27. [https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9017-the-top-50-albums-of-2012/4/ The Top 50 Albums of 2012]. [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  28. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2012-20121205/cloud-nothings-attack-on-memory-19691231 50 Best Albums of 2012]. [[Rolling Stone]]. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  29. [https://stereogum.com/1210661/stereogums-top-50-albums-of-2012/franchises/listomania/ Stereogum’s Top 50 Albums Of 2012]. [[Stereogum]]. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  30. "Attack on Memory - Charts & Awards". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
  31. [http://www.discogs.com/Cloud-Nothings-Attack-On-Memory/release/3399563 Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory (Vinyl, LP, Album]. [[Discogs]]. Retrieved 16 March 2012.

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