Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Nothing,Nowhere, Warner Music/Fueled By Ramen 2021.
Nothing,Nowhere is the performance name of American singer/songwriter, rapper, and producer Joseph Edward Mulherin, and it is spelled correctly with no space between the two words. (although I have seen his name in capitals, with one capital or none at all).
These sorts of try hard monikers usually make me wince and it did so this time.
One assumes he didn’t think that his own name was the right brand image for what he was producing.
I’m not so sure that Nothing,Nowhere achieves a positive vibe but it might sum up the album.
The songs for this album were, according to Nothing,Nowhere, “written during a confusing time” and they are meant to provide the impetus for us to “accept the present and follow our true north through the pain and suffering of human life.”
I know I’m from the wrong demographic for his stuff but I could find little inspiration to follow my true north (if I could find it) let alone deal with my pain and suffering.
In the publicity blurb accompanying the stream Joseph says he believes that the most inspiring art is unpredictable and unrestrictive but Trauma Factory is entirely predictable and certainly doesn’t break any new ground.
It’s a well-produced pop album with indie/alternative pretensions that would have been better off being presented for what it is rather than donning the clothes of the avant-garde.
The point is that dropping swear words every now and then and playing around with rhythms and tempos is hardly pushing the boundaries and Joseph Mulherin seems to be at his best when he focusses on the songs and lets the lyrics and melodies do the selling, because he can write a good song.
There are some interesting tracks among the 15 cuts on the disc.
Fake Friend is a great bit of teenage angst and Death is a credible hip-hop/metal explosion.
This album is my introduction to Nothing,Nowhere and my reaction to it, while somewhat harsh, is aimed more at the hype than the disc itself which is a competent selection of songs that may, or may not, be loosely based around a theme.
