No Age: Losing Feeling

In the past, the guys in No Age haven’t known whether to sink or swim: One minute they’re diving beneath waves of murky guitars, white noise, and tape-loop squall, the next they’re emerging for air with clean guitar hooks and gasping vocals. The pattern remains much the same on their new EP, Losing Feeling, although here, the DIY duo makes an effort at synthesizing the two halves of their personality: sonic assault and ambient drone. The title track begins with guitarist Randy Randall laying down an aquatic, shimmering sine wave while “Wipe Out” drums and abstract sound loops bubble to the surface. Dean Spunt eventually joins in, singing about sleep and sounding very much like his was just disturbed. The gooey, drum-free middle of the EP replaces the ballast of the rhythm section with field recordings of crashing waves and feet on gravel, lulling listeners into a false sense of security before the onslaught of “You’re A Target,” which echoes the propulsive drumming and wailing guitar of No Age’s best, most gleefully homemade noise-rock.