No Age

It’s a special band that can balance anti-corporate antagonism and music-industry success the way No Age can. Spawning out of the Los Angeles DIY scene, drummer Randy Randall and guitarist Dean Spunt craft the kind of punk rock that isn’t afraid to be pretty; both 2010’s Everything in Between and 2008’s Nouns were fuzzy, gritty, cymbal-crashing affairs punctuated by achingly beautiful melodies. On An Object, the band’s third for indie rock mega label Sub Pop, Randall and Spunt crank the reverb to 11, steer clear of the blatantly soaring guitar riffs, and back way off on their now-signature drum maelstroms, and what they come away with is a record that’s rougher, sadder, and undeniably quieter than anything they’ve done yet. In a lot of ways, this shoegazey version of No Age can be a tough pill to swallow; unrelenting fury is, after all, the band’s calling card. But then we get “An Impression,” which pairs Spunt’s monotone with a hiccupping bass line and a delicate string-section backdrop. Better still, “An Impression” is just one of the many quiet, pensive, and startlingly affecting moments An Object has to offer. No Age plays the Ojai Rancho Inn on Wednesday, September 25. Visit coolsummerpresents.com for info.