No – Meet Me After Dark – Album Review

We were lucky enough to have interviewed No through our written work on the site in 2013, exposing us to a pure and melodic pop-rock sound led by the Jarzabek brothers in an interview that offered a lot of insight into the inner-workings of the band and details on this very album.

And since that time…we’ve waited patiently…knowing that whatever No would come up with would assuredly be of the highest quality in production, songwriting and melody; all played with maximum conviction and skill. Expectations for this indie band are almost abnormally high…I know how seriously they take their craft and how much dedication of their time and effort goes into what they do…does it pay off?

No…is a great band (See what I did there?). Of course their hard work and ability for writing excellent songs shines brightly throughout their new album, Meet Me After Dark!

What amazes me every time I listen to the music of No is the sheer amount of focus they possess – it’s absolutely astounding. You can hear easily that no mistake would have been accepted; this is music made tightly and without flaws.

What surprised me the most about Meet Me After Dark though, was just how much this band has matured and defined their sound in such a short time. To be completely honest – I was expecting something almost a little MORE Beatles-ish from No, but it seems that the steps have been taken in this band to truly define their sound as their own. You can hear slight influences pop in and out for sure, but to listen to this new album is to really hear a band hitting their stride. I can only imagine just how proud the members of No must be with this excellent end result in the final version of the album.

Whether it’s a gentle ballad like “Take Me All Apart” or “Tuesdays,” or a more up-tempo pop-rock track like “Climb,” or the title-track itself – that focus remains completely intact and never wavers; on either side of their musical map, No is completely comfortable. I’ve heard many acts in the past “focus-up” and tighten their material, with the end result sounding like a forceful trauma for the band, but that is not the case here…not even close. How natural their music sounds and how confidently they play it is a large part of the overall magic of No, and certainly, this album.

No continues to make moves – a great new album, a one-hour show called Mobbed that just dropped on Fox…even career advice from Bono of U2 himself! DECENT right? They are making that maximum effort to live out this dream and with each carefully planned step, they’ll continue on the right direction.

As for the album, after dropping the tempo slightly towards the later-half of the album they finish appropriately strong with “Bang And A Shout,” capping off an album that is absolutely worth a listen.

THIS is what can be accomplished when you focus. THIS is what you can achieve when the right pieces find their way together and you OWN your time. THIS is what you get when you truly love what you do and dedicate yourself to your craft.

If there’s one thing I’m certain of…No is no joke.

Find everything you need to No right here: http://www.notheband.com/