What If Nothing is a perfect album to listen to on the walk home. It’s infectiously catchy, with solid beats and interesting effects throughout the tracks. Album opener ‘Press Restart’ gives a strong sense of what’s to come, featuring synthesiser and voice distortion which is characteristic of their sound. The lead single, ‘One Foot’, reminds me of older albums, whilst ‘Headphones’ is certainly a standout similar to their previous album’s hit single ‘Shut Up + Dance’. Nicholas Petricca’s vocals have always been some of my favourites, and they’re consistently great; he moves easily between the fast spoken word verses of ‘All I Want’, to the high ranges of ‘All Night’.
It's infectiously catchy, with solid beats and interesting effects
The slightly frantic ‘Kamikaze’ blends a musically intense chorus with more stripped back verses. An interesting choice for a single release just days before the album dropped, this track shows the more rock side of WALK THE MOON. This is followed by the comparatively mellow ‘Tiger’s Teeth’, a contrast that shows the diversity of the band and showcases Petricca’s voice.
‘Sound of Awakening’ is one of the most musically interesting tracks, beginning with electronically distorted a capella lyrics. The effects give it a futuristic, eerie feel, before the beat drops and it gains an extra dimension. Wait until the last minute of the 6 minute song, and you’ll hear it kick up another notch. ‘Feels Good To Be High’ doesn’t quite interest me like most of the other tracks, but it’s still a pretty good listen, if somewhat repetitive. The album closes with ‘Lost In The Wild’ and it’s a great note to end on, combining all the best parts of what they have to offer.
The album shows how fun, talented and enjoyable WALK THE MOON can be
The last few tracks bear similarities with the band’s older style – which isn’t a bad thing. There are signs of growth and experimentation but they’ve clearly found a sound that works to stick with. Although some of the songs took time to grow on me, the album shows how fun, talented and enjoyable WALK THE MOON can be.