nothing,nowhere. Returns with Genre Blending Album "Trauma Factory"
Many rap artists have developed a new taste for punk and metal music. Machine Gun Kelly’s most recent album saw him depart from his hip-hop roots in favor of a straightforward pop-punk record. British rapper Scarlxrd is known for his musical style combining trap and heavy metal. However, an artist that has recently broken through the noise is Massachusetts-born musician nothing,nowhere.
The musical project of Joe Mulherin, a singer and rapper from Foxborough, Massachusetts, nothing,nowhere. released his fourth album, Trauma Factory, on February 19th. The album combines trap music with other genres, including pop-punk, emo rock and heavy metal.
The title track introduces the album with atmospheric electric guitar chords fronted by a deep, velvety spoken-word monologue. The monologue ends with the phrase, “Human life is a trauma factory,” referencing the album’s title. “Lights (4444)” is the first actual song from Trauma Factory, kicking off the album with a light and bubbly trap beat as Mulherin expresses his struggles within a relationship alongside his everyday life.
The album’s third track, “Buck,” really kicks up the energy and is one of my favorite tracks on the album, featuring a hard-hitting chorus with distinct 808s. The lyrics revolve around Mulherin returning to his hometown of Foxborough, acting as an homage to the city — “Shoutout to the 508/Tell ’em what’s up.” The lyrics also represent a conversation between Mulherin and his hometown friends. The verses of the song represent his hometown friends—
“You must love everything, man, I wish I could say it / But I'm stuck in this town on my own Feeling down, what’s it like now to be famous? / Tell me right now, 'cause you made it”
—while Mulherin’s response is showcased in the chorus:
“I gotta keep it a buck, keep it a buck / Think I got lost in a chase, I'm feeling stuck / Feel like this every day, shit kinda suck”
“Love or Chemistry” is one of the few tracks on the album where Mulherin’s pop-punk influence really shines, starting off with Mulherin’s lo-fi-sounding vocals before transitioning into a more fast-paced punk sound.
The following track, “Exile,” showcases a completely different vibe, composed of a slow trap beat and lyrics that express loneliness while touring.
“Upside Down” and its upbeat dance beat stand out within the album. Although the song is uniquely groovy, its lyrics still stick with emo stylings, telling a story of Mulherin’s lover seemingly ignoring him while her friend pushed him away from her -
“I'm feeling upside down / I saw your car, I know you're back in town / I called your friend, she said you're not around / She said that I should go and fuck myself”
The album’s seventh track, “Pain Place,” is the first track to feature another artist, opening with Mulherin’s usual lo-fi tone before transitioning to UK singer and producer MISOGI’s verse. MISOGI brought a very refreshing sound, and I really would have loved to have heard more of him, as I feel like his presence was quite short in this song.
“Fake Friend” returns to the album’s previous pop-punk sound. I absolutely loved this song, especially its hard-hitting chorus; Mulherin’s voice sounds amazing alongside the sudden bursts of electric guitars. The lyrics in the song show Mulherin expressing his realization of how distant his friend is becoming, though he also sees a positive light to the situation -
“Keep the distance / Losing you's a win-win / Always gotta pretend / I don't need a fake friend”
“Death” continues the progression in Mulherin’s heavy rock sound and is quite possibly the most aggressive song on the record. The track starts off with a heavy metal-sounding guitar intro, before transitioning into an old-school hip-hop beat. The first half of “Death” really shows off Mulherin’s rapping abilities. However, halfway through, the song suddenly switches to a more heavy metal-inspired style. Mulherin showcases his voice through death growls and metal screaming, repeating the line, “I scare myself to death,” throughout the hook.
“Pretend” brings back his more mellow sound, referencing popular pop-punk band Fall Out Boy and their debut single, “Dead On Arrival,” during the first verse (“I was falling out, boy, dead on arrival”). The guitar riff that recurs throughout the song also reminded me of the style shown by pop-punk band Blink-182 in their track, “Adam’s Song.”
“Blood” features singer KennyHoopla and producer JUDGE. KennyHoopla’s deep voice brings a nice contrast to Mulherin’s higher-pitched tone, though he displays his versatility when he jumps up an octave to a screaming style similar to Mulherin’s vocals.
“Nightmare,” the twelfth track and lead single, was Mulherin’s first release of 2020. The song takes a dark, angsty approach in describing the anger and betrayal Mulherin feels after being rejected in favor of another man.
“Crave” takes a more intimate fashion with the lyrics, being romantic and slightly provocative. Mulherin tells a story of him craving a girl he sees in a crowd as he performs.
The penultimate track, “Real,” starts off with slow, mellow guitar and Mulherin’s singing, which gave me strong R&B vibes. In the verses, Mulherin raps about how he goes through anxiety and depression while wanting to stay strong for his fans -
“You do it all even with the anxiety / And honestly, that is inspiring / With all the depression you put on yourself and from others / That shit must get tiring / I told him ‘Thanks’ and I drove home / Going 95 in a 55 / I don't wanna let him down now / Tryna be strong, but I don't know how”
The final song, “Barely Bleeding,” presents very contrasting sounds, varying electric guitars alongside cleanly sung verses with acoustic guitars and a screamed chorus.
Overall, Trauma Factory showed a glimpse of Mulherin’s personal life, focusing on various difficult emotions he has dealt with. The varied styles of his songs portrayed someone who is troubled and who goes back-and-forth on a lot of internal struggles. His lyrics tell stories of difficult relationships, being famous and his struggles with anxiety and depression. Whether you’re a fan of rap music or emo and pop-punk, nothing,nowhere. has created an album worth listening to.