Attack on Memory

Recording

The album was engineered by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. Dylan Baldi chose Albini because he made bands "sound like they're playing a live show" and wanted the album "to sound like us playing." Albini took a hands-off approach during the four days of recording, spending much of the time playing Scrabble and blogging. Baldi stated that Albini never made suggestions to the band.

Albini later explained that he would read "dry, un-interesting stuff" to avoid interfering unnecessarily while remaining able to stop if he heard something obtrusive. The album's musical style was more aggressive than previous Cloud Nothings releases, which Baldi described as a collection of "depressing songs." He attributed the change to boredom with power pop, and the title reflected his feelings toward the band's earlier sound: "an attack on the memory of what people thought the band was."

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

Release

The album Attack on Memory was first revealed to the public on October 28, 2011. Its debut single, "No Future/No Past," came out on November 7, 2011, and was named a Best New Track by Pitchfork. The follow-up single, "Stay Useless," arrived on December 9, 2011, and also earned that designation. A third song, "No Sentiment," was made available on January 13, 2012. The full album became available for streaming on January 17, 2012.

Reception

The album received strong reviews, with a Metacritic score of 83 out of 100 based on 33 reviews. Pitchfork's Ian Cohen gave it a Best New Album designation, writing that it was "too visceral to feel like escapism, too vital to feel like cheap revival." Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club praised Baldi for opening up "wide spaces in his music and letting the fury beneath breathe and then bellow." Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound praised the album despite "the vaguely emo lyricism," noting Baldi's sincerity and angst.

Zachary Houle of PopMatters called it "an album that was well worth the wait," describing it as "hyper and frenzied" and "bristling with retro rage and vitriol." Conrad Tao of Tiny Mix Tapes criticized the lyrics, finding "No Future/No Past" and "No Sentiment" lyrically confused, with the latter containing what he called the album's worst line. Adam Downer of Sputnikmusic had a mixed reaction, suggesting the band's new sound was a calculated attempt to appear more authentic.

Pitchfork ranked the album No. 19 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2012, writing that "Cloud Nothings were out for blood." Rolling Stone placed it at No. 21 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2012, noting that "Baldi's scream makes old-school aggro-depression feel like new-school joy." Stereogum listed the album 6th on its top 50 albums of 2012.