So what is new with No More in the year 2015? Well, these German veterans of the underground music scene released their Silence & Revolt album just a while back and I had greatly enjoyed listening to it. Since they launched their first releases back in the early 80’s, what do they sound like today? From the first listening, a very up to date and modern sound, but with that lingering feeling that reaches out for some past times; whatever inspired them back then, does not cease to impress them today, even though they went through a real evolution. Their tunes are poppy but relying on some indie pop/rock, post punk and electronic music.
They start very optimistically with “The Man Outside”, a vibrant, danceable and melodically rich number. And while the beat and the bass create that driving dance rhythm, the melody is carried out by the wonderful play of the guitar, synths and Andy’s vocal. The track is so playful that you forget about any melancholia or nostalgia here. But that is not the case with the second one: “Turnaround”. The track is utterly melancholic, but yet remains poppy; a fantastic merge of the two for “darker” indie souls and a personal favourite of mine. With “Stardust Youth” they chose to slow it down and offer us a bit of a different feel, more atmospheric and indeed emotional one. But we can’t rest for long as they are back with another up tempo track “Rope A Dope”, in which synths bring in a pinch of the retro feel, as they keep the rest on the more modern side. The electronic sound is more prominent on “After The Rain – Passeggiata Notturna” and I get the most peculiar feeling when listening to this one; a great merge of so many elements and genres and if you wondered what a Cave-Reininger collaboration would sound like, well, I think something like this. “Revolt Against Yourself” for start has a very intriguing title and it is again one up tempo track that this album is not in short supply of; again one very dynamic and inviting song with the great balance between the guitar and the synth.
While “It’s About Time” is all about atmosphere, “1816” is in fact about Mary Shelly’s creation of the Frankenstein novel and takes the listener on a short trip to some heavier and more restless feelings. “Silent Revolt” is even darker in its overall feel than the previous one and I feel that the album just submerged into shadowy corners of our beings, and the named track is this time socially oriented in its lyrics. They refer here to “The Standing Man”, Erdem Gündüz, the face of the protest movement against the Turkish government, a man who showed his revolt towards the government by standing on Taksim square in Istanbul. They decided to keep it slow and emotional with “Give My Compliments To All The Girls” making this part of the album less catchy but more emotionally painted. However they bounce back with the beat on “The Cold Years” getting the album back to the pop tracks. They close with “In A Leaden Time” choosing the nostalgic minimalistic and atmospheric piece to close the chapter of one indeed rich and ripe No More release. And judging from it, 2015 was indeed a splendid year for the music.
