No Devotion – No Oblivion Review

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Alternative rock never felt so good. Punchy, articulate freedom flows throughout No Oblivion, the sophomore effort of No Devotion. Immediately atmospheric, No Oblivion sees a band contemplate with real credibility and stunning technical qualities. Moody and atmospheric openers, a collection of sincerely dark tracks that push it closer toward the introspective style of latter-day Suede records, just more intense. This is a band with nothing to lose, or at least that is the feeling they give. Shaking themselves to the core appears to be a rite of passage for the atmospheric qualities and layered abilities shining through No Oblivion.

Opening track Starlings should be a clear sign of that. It is. Those sudden screams of fear that linger on Starlings and crossover to No Oblivion are the glue that keeps No Devotion together. Atmospheric is a loose term for a band that has managed to make the morose screams particularly melancholic. A Sky Deep and Clear marks a desire to “wake up and come back to life”, and that following “resurrection” feels more or less confirmed with this confident second album. Geoff Rickley steps up to the plate and lays all to bear with these lyrical qualities. Sincere and frequently moving to that cascade of instrumental pieces underscoring it all. Eventual builds and slower moments portray a band with light at the end of their hopeful tunnel.

Seeing that light is Love Songs from Fascist Italy, a piece that is as reliant on those sparing vocals from Rickley as it is on the guitar quality of Lee Gaze. Monumental stuff, working through a rich vein of quality that serves not as an individual signpost for Gaze’s talents but as a subtle, active piece of the puzzle so often put forth by No Devotion. There is a synthpop element to some of the latter tracks that strike through much more noticeable on The End of Longing. To adapt to the losses of the band, with three departing members, Gaze and bassist Stuart Richardson adapt to a streamlined, darker approach. It pays off tremendously well. Drum machines, synthesizers, throwing everything at the wall and seeing what comes out the other end. Tracks like The End of Longing highlight that blur between dark synthpop and lyrical clarity. A band can rarely achieve that at their best, but to do it in a period of changing hands is utterly impressive.

Perhaps those Suede comparisons toward the start of this review were hitting on something deeper for No Devotion. No Oblivion feels similar in both scope and self-reflection as Suede’s release, Autofiction. They are not musically the same, these are very different, individually rare beasts, but the message and theme are consistent throughout. No Devotion is living proof that setbacks for seasoned musicians are just another hurdle to overcome, and that quality music can still pour from them. No Oblivion is a rarity like no other, a sincerely moving bit of alternative rock that can stand alongside the best of them. The End of Longing should be proof enough of that sincerely dark, twisted and utterly brilliant quality. Embarking on a consistent tone of complete devastation, No Oblivion rallies against that eponymous state of nothing with a tremendous record keeping No Devotion devoted to musical survival.