This brings us to No Dream, his fourth solo album, released on May 20, 2020 without warning or even so much as a knowing wink in our general direction. It's not dissimilar from his previous efforts, in that it's a collection of bloody sleeved, soar throated indie rock and pop-punk, baying at the injustice of the world, with a few domestic asides and concessions to the personal sprinkled throughout. Like most Rosenstock albums, I initially hated it. Also like most Rosenstock albums I gave it another listen, and then another, and by the fourth or fifth go-round I was singing along to the chorus of a few songs, and by the sixth I was still singing but also by then crying, credit card in hand, ordering a vinyl copy to be sent to my apartment. The only thing that sticks in my craw about No Dream is the intrusion of surf rock riffs and production on a number of its tracks. These parts don't work for me because: 1) surf rock was overdone when I started listening to Rosenstock stuff back in 2008, I felt like his style was a welcome escape from it then, and I still feel like it's a bit of a crutch for punk/garage/indie artists today when they don't know how to progress their sound, and 2) it makes it a little too obvious that he moved to CA while recording the record. That said, the nervy, urban pop-punk I've come to associate with his style is still here, and manages to not be entirely overwhelmed by the laid-back concessions to his new home's "house style." And frankly, any nits I'd have to pick are more than compensated for and forgivable by everything else that is on offer here. "Nikes (Alt)" is a fast and fuzzy Rosenstock insta-classic, as is "Scam!" with its hot syncopated chords, sweaty grooves and ditch-or-die lyrics. Even the surfy bits on "The Beauty of Breathing" are tolerable, and I've totally fallen for the low-key heartache of "Ohio Tpke." The slow burner "NO DREAM" is an arresting depiction of the atomizing effects of viewing the world through the prism of social media that transitions into a seriously tight melo-hardcore hot take for its furious finish. All around killer, even with the wave-crashy filler.
I'm not going to beg you to listen to No Dream, but I think you might like it if you gave it a spin. You can literally get it for free off the web, so you have very few excuses not to. And if you decide to purchase the record, know that 10% of the sale will go to support Food Not Bombs. Buying this album won't make you a hero, but it won't not make you one either. Just saying.
Get a copy of No Dream from Polyvinyl here,
Or, Quote Unquote, here.
