Do Nothing — Glueland — EP Review
Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Indie
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The alternative rock band that go by the name of Do Nothing was another example of an artist that I had discovered through Album Of the Year’s new releases page, and I remember being drawn to this EP specifically thanks to its eye-grabbing and abundant cover art. That being said, I was eager to give this a listen, and the whimsical roc sound that the band conveyed through Glueland, was certainly enough to seal the deal.
Glueland is the sophomore EP from Do Nothing, who kicked off their discography with their debut single release “Waitress” in 2018. The band had seemingly had no trouble adopting a convincing post-punk sound very early on, but 2020 saw Do Nothing spice things up slightly with some more electronic elements, to further establish themselves as something more unique. This year also saw the band begin to tease their second EP, via their title track, and then their single “Uber Alles”.
Fittingly enough, these are the two singles that make up the beginning of this 5 track EP. And with the awesomely quirky sense of engagement that I got with the first loop of the title track, I felt that there was no better way for listeners to get sucked into the wonderland-like soundscape that this EP has built.
But all the while that Glueland displayed its whimsicality, there was definitely till an underlying sense of trueness to a post-punk aesthetic, albeit more fluid and danceable.
However, the fluidity I write about feels like a double-edged sword in the case of this EP; while it drives the idea of this project being a consistent experience forward well, it also forced me to go back over a lot of the songs to remember how they sounded. Don’t get me wrong; every track on this thing was enjoyable in its own right, but I felt that only the title track stood out as a track that had that kind of memorable grip on me personally.
One might be able to find on this EP, that every element of it, even including the vocals intertwine in such a fluid way, that I found the elements borderline melding into one-another. It felt immersive to the point where I was taken so far in to the moment, that I found my attention popping out of the other side.
But in turn, there is an incredibly charming atmosphere that is carefully built by the aesthetic Do Nothing fully embrace on this record. Although, I ended up feeling that such an atmosphere felt far better made for an album, as opposed to the EP. I ultimately find myself feeling conflicted about whether Do Nothing have created a perfectly complete project in its atmosphere, or whether I was secretly dying for more.
But with all of that out of the way, there is no denying that there is an incredible level of thought and care that went into Glueland. And for the strength of that merit alone, it still stands as a highly recommended EP of 2021.
Favourite Tracks: Glueland | Rolex | Great White Way
Exact Truth
Enjoyment: ★★★★ | Memorability: ★★★ | Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Uniqueness: ★★★★ | Satisfaction: ★★★★ | Narrative: ★★★★
