Nothing, the Philadelphia-bred shoegaze giants, have slowly become one of the genre’s proudest and most innovative leaders. Led by Domenic Palermo, the band has been pushing the boundaries of shoegaze tropes for over a decade, building a cult following and a colorful discography brimming with acclaimed, singular approaches to the genre they hold close. The past six years of Nothing, though, have seen their prolificness arrive at a crawl. Since the release of their stunning 2020 record, The Great Dismal, Palermo has been focused on collaboration and work outside of recording. Most recently, Nothing released When No Birds Sang, a collaborative project with Full of Hell, in 2023, and Plaermo began his now-famous Slide Away Festival, a multi-generational shoegaze festival.
With a place cemented in contemporary shoegaze through tireless dedication to the genre, Palermo has little left to prove to anyone by way of creativity. The force behind Nothing, rather than basking in the well-deserved glory, looked towards the future with a keen eye on reinvention. Nothing is back with A Short History or Decay, their first album in six years, and the inaugural release for this newly minted lineup. Palermo is joined by guitarist Doyle Martin, bassist Bobb Bruno, drummer Zachary Jones, and guitarist Cam Smith on this 9-song outing, and the impact of this new lineup is immediate. Palermo proves to be far from done evolving on Nothing’s most daring yet rewarding album to date. Palermo leads his new band into experimental territory, yet his demeanor would tell a different story. The fearless frontman sounds more assured than ever, as his iconic band makes its triumphant return with a renewed perspective and riskier tendencies.
This is Nothing as you’ve never heard them before, with shoegaze more adventurous than your dreams could conjure. Throughout these nine songs, the newly formed Nothing showcases an innate trust in Palermo and his lofty, dreamy, almost-psychedelic visions, as they collectively piece together something undeniable. What a short history of decay lacks in consistency, it makes up for with unapologetic, poetic displays of the many sides of Palermo as a writer and producer. Every moment of these songs is alive, breathing, and moving, acting as a vehicle for an artist whose ideas seem far too grand until they manifest into soul-touching moments like those featured on Nothing’s latest.
From the opening number, the pop-tinted, radio-ready, acoustic-driven “never come never morning,” it is clear that Nothing is ushering in a new era of their sound. Palermo’s vocals shed their typical lush shoegaze cloak to deliver a dazzling performance, properly preparing the listener for an unpredictable tracklist. The next tune, “cannibal world,” finds the band sliding back to shoegaze, while Jones makes his presence known with an avalanche of off-kilter percussion that juxtaposes the droning guitar riffs. The punchy “nerve scales” toys with indie rock tropes, yet another territory that Nothing can now proudly say they touched upon.
For all these moments of maturity and artistic growth, Palermo and his band never forgot their roots. Moments like the glitchy, distorted title track and the downtrodden hypnosis of “the rain don’t care” hint at previous Nothing releases. The throughline between A Short History or Decay, and Nothing’s past is Palermo’s naturally poignant songwriting. Throughout these nine songs, Nothing’s leader proves to be one of the more elegant, emotionally vulnerable writers across any genre. Songs like the vivid “ballet of the traitor” detail betrayal with subtle violence, while the heartbreaking closer, “essential tremors,” painstakingly paints a palpable portrait of longing.
2026 marks the return of Nothing, and this is not the same Palermo-fueled band that we last heard from. The nine songs that comprise A Short History or Decay, are the band’s most visceral and palpable yet, weaving their individuality with refreshing ideas while shattering expectations and boundaries.
