The Shadow I Remember is the Cloud Nothings most recent album release. This album is a summation of emotions surrounding an existential crisis- self doubt, self worth, and self purpose. Lead singer Dylan Baldi’s lyrics are questioning, “Who am I to be?” The tracks repeat that question as if to manifest the answer into existence. Despite all that, the seemingly despairing lyrics are joined with joyful instrumentals- a start to a new beginning.

Oslo- This song sort of encapsulates what the album is about. The song grows with the lyrics- it writes itself into meaning.

Nothing Without You- After the slower intro to the album, this song is lively with vocals in the chorus featured by Macie Stewart. This is probably one of my favorite songs on the album.

The Spirit Of- This track is very repetitive lyrically, but it goes almost unnoticed because of how interesting the actual song is. It has an interesting cadence vocally- it’s a little more punk then the other tracks.

Only Light- There is a lot going on in this track, it’s very chaotic- in a good way. It’s a cute love song for the singer’s girlfriend.

Nara- This is probably the most calm track in the album- it’s a good break from the previous track. I like that it’s slower, I can better hear harmonies and the singer’s voice. It continues with the theme of existential crisis.

Open Rain- Another one of my favorite tracks on the song. I especially like this track because I feel as if the album cover is made for this song. The chorus is especially addicting-the chanting and repetition is so good.

Sound of Alarm- Also a favorite of mine. It has a similar cadence to the previous song, so maybe that’s why I enjoy it so much. But it’s relatable- we all get caught up in life and time for ourselves is more important than we think.

Am I Something- I really like the chorus. It’s very raw and you can hear the emotion in his voice. It’s a testament to something many of us feel-questioning ourselves and our worth as people in this society.

It’s Love- The vocals remind me of Radiohead. The song itself has a lot of different elements going on, more like a rhapsody. It has different rhythms and textures. The only thing is it is very short.

A Longer Moon- This track barely has any lyrics, but the show is the instrumental. It has some synth going on and shredding guitar. Much like the theme, it feels existential. A bunch of different things dissolving into one. It melts into the next track seamlessly.

The Room It Was- This is my last favorite on the album. I love the tone of the guitar, it sounds like a resolution. After an entire album questions self worth and purpose, this track leaves us with hope. That “I feel you, but I won’t go down”.

Overall, I enjoyed this album a lot. I am personally a fan of Indie Rock so I was excited to listen to this. While I do think this album has repetition of lyrics and sound, I believe it is still really good. I would rate this a 4.5 out of 5 Spinnaker Sails for the sound and lyrics. I will definitely listen to their other songs.