The sophomore album from North Carolina-based artist No One Mind, Secondary Gain is a standout production with dynamic pop and rock traversals. A bright and hooky sound is frequent, like on the peppy jangly rock sunshine of “Mew Punk.” The dreamy, nocturnal twinkling within the album’s title track is a compelling showcase of No One Mind’s gripping atmospheric constructions.
Secondary Gain stirs with ample personality, bolstered by a thematic approach that paints “vignettes of different characters attempting to dig themselves out of mourning, having become so accustomed to the feeling, it now seems like second nature.” This is particularly powerful on “Battle for Heat,” whose moody vocals and piano bounces tout a Roxy Music-like sophistication. Lyrics opening with “Battle for heat, I’m stuck with the age old toll of the hold me down,” — a fitting summation of the aforementioned thematic pursuits.
Originating with debuting singles and a full-length in 2016, No One Mind serves as the songwriting moniker of Durham-based multi-instrumentalist Ellis Anderson. Secondary Gain also features close collaborators Sam Logan and Reed Benjamin.
Check out the music videos for album tracks “Covered in Roses” and “Secondary Gain”:
Stream the album in full:
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“Covered in Roses” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of June 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
