Indie Music Album Reviews

White Noise Maker - Next to Nothing

1/26/2022

White Noise Maker

Next to Nothing
self-released; 2021

3.8 out of 5

By Dan Weston

Devin Moore, aka White Noise Maker, is a veteran of many different facets of the music industry. He founded and fronted Florida based alt-rock band named bloom., and shared the stage with luminaries like Dinosaur Jr, Guided By Voices, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He recently released Next To Nothing which is a five-song EP.

The songs felt like a mix of rock from a number of different decades with some elements of pop. I thought the main strength of the songs were the accessible and memorable melodies. The songs are catchy and revolve around the vocals.

“Don't They Shoot Horses” is the opener and felt somewhere between The Shins and The Beatles in terms of style and aesthetic. The verse combines slick clean guitars, a ’50s inspired drum beat and a steady bass line. I especially loved some of the fills the bass was doing on the bridge. The hook is wonderfully infectious. Moore sings “When you take the measure of man / Will I keep coming up short / Don’t they shoot horses / When they can’t run anymore.” This song felt like a highlight.

“Next to Nothing” starts with piano and vocals. The song quickly picks up with a big sounding bass, drums and other elements which explode into a big sounding hook. Moore nails the vocals here. He’s more subtle and intimate on the verse and let’s it soar when he sings “It’s all you’re gonna give / So I‘ve learned to live with next to nothing.” This felt like another highlight to my ears.

“Glass Piano” felt a little modern and the production was a lot more pop oriented. I honestly wasn’t expecting this turn but for the most part it works. The hook is perhaps the biggest yet with soaring background vocals, a rumbling sub bass, guitar and electric piano.

“The Speed of Darkness” dips more into pop territory. This is the most dynamic song yet. The verse revolves around subtle guitar and occasional notes on piano. As the song progresses it sort of ebbs and flows dynamically until the hook comes. The chorus and hook is thematic when he sings “Moving at the speed of darkness / Night hits, eyes wide open / Mountains, madmen / At it again.”

“Heavy Weight” was a really good song. The production is again more modern sounding however the heart of the song comes from the vocals and piano. It’s got an empowering and motivational type of energy.

This EP felt accessible to me in a number of ways. I think fans of artists like The Beatles, Of Montreal and Father John Misty will enjoy this but it also has more of a mainstream pop appeal as well. That’s a wide demographic and I think fans or either or both will enjoy this. Recommended.