L.S. Dunes, Cloud Nothings
A year out from the release of Rise Against's chart-topping, critically acclaimed ninth album Nowhere Generation, the Chicago band returns with Nowhere Generation II: a propulsive, five-song follow-up that serves to continue a critical dialogue between themselves, their fans, and the world at large. The new EP, written and recorded alongside the material for Nowhere Generation, looks beyond its full-length counterpart's scrutiny of the chronic social, economic, and political instability and inequality that pervades the modern age. II is as biting as it is hopeful, and is a further testament to the resonance of a band that continues to defy the status quo of modern rock. "We'd written 16 songs for this album and then we decided to break them apart," explains vocalist and guitarist Tim McIlrath. "Not only could the music get lost, but the message could get lost in asking people to listen to this all at once. I think this is, hopefully, a more effective way to give these issues the platform and the spotlight that they rightly deserve. We wanted to hold onto these and give them to our fans when we feel like they've had time to properly digest this first batch, so these songs were the aces up our sleeves." At a time when myopic tribalism is infecting every facet of life, and when the unknown has to be embraced with alarming regularity, there's a reason to continue on: what we do share with one another. On Nowhere Generation's "Talking To Ourselves," the band grappled with how feelings of going unheard - and messages not reaching those who need to hear it - impairs collective progress, and the dangerous sense of complacency that can result. "Last Man Standing," the first single from II, picks up that baton with a full-throated reminder of what could happen if those in power continue to ignore the voice of the people.
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