NIKKI LOUDER - Golden Men

Artist:  Nikki Louder
Album: Golden Men
Year:  2013
Genre:  Noise Rock

Oh noise rock, how I adore and loathe you so.  No one genre creates as immense of an inner battle pitting my reverence against my distain. Obviously, you cannot love, like, or even tolerate every band any genre, but noise rock really baffles the living hell out of me.  Some of it is genius and some of it just sounds like the aural equivalent of a headache wrapped up in a dumpster fire.  This critique is from a person that likes some music which 99.9% of this planet’s population would call absolute garbage.  

Well, onto Nikki Louder.  This particular album was a suggestion from a long-time friend and I still want to hug him and slap him for it.  Indecisive is not a position I enjoy being in when it comes to music, which is exactly how I feel when I listen to this album.  Never have I ever listened to a record and one day thought it was brilliant, yet, another day I find it completely irritating.  I swear this is what happens to me when I spin Golden Men. To pinpoint the reason this happens has proved impossible.  It’s just so odd.  I’ve had this LP in my “for sale” bins many times and then I snatch it out of there because I believe I like it.  Crazy shit.   So what do I like about this record?  There is a strong Joy Division influence that pokes its wonderful head out from time-to-time.  I do appreciate the creativity and unbridled passion the band puts forth and they’re able to be feral and extreme without being heavy at all. You can hear the sweat dripping to the floor when these guys play.  Their arrangement choices are interesting and unexpected.  What don’t I like?  Sometimes it’s just too much.  Too much noise.  Too much experimentation.  Too much going off the rails.  Some might find this genius.  I apparently don’t…or do.  Goddamn it.  

I never wanted to be one of these people that goes the route of, “Well, if you like <insert genre> you will like this.  If you don’t like <insert genre> you’ll want to avoid this.”  So lame.  Yet, I honestly cannot imagine who a band like Nikki Louder will appeal to other than those well versed in the area of noise rock or those that want to challenge themselves to explore new territories.  Obviously I still haven’t made up my mind about this record, so I’ll live in limbo with these guys for a bit longer.

Listen to "Golden Men" here.