Afterthoughts
Afterthoughts finds Nosound combining quiet, melancholy writing with a stronger sense of guitar and drum weight. Piano, strings and atmospheric detail remain important, but the band are willing to let a song become rougher when the arrangement calls for it. The changes are effective, even if the album's similar moods sometimes make its individual strengths easier to appreciate than the complete sequence.
Two Monkeys shows the more restrained side clearly. Piano, bass and strings support Giancarlo Erra's expressive singing, with the quieter setting allowing small instrumental details to become significant. The later keyboard-led passage gives the song another point of interest without requiring a much louder performance.
She develops from a more exposed piano-and-voice opening. The cello becomes increasingly active as the piece moves towards heavier guitar and drums. The fuller ending feels connected to the quieter material, making the change of intensity part of the song's emotional shape.
Encounter gives the strings a different role. Cello and brighter piano lines create a contrast around the vocal, adding depth without turning the arrangement into a crowded display. It is one of the clearest examples of how much the record gains from its additional instrumental colours.
Wherever You Are brings the rhythm further forward. The drums are especially active around a recurring keyboard idea, giving the song a more immediate movement. At times they sit too prominently in the sound, distracting from the balance rather than simply increasing the energy.
Paralysed offers the widest range of moods. A soft piano opening leads towards stronger guitar, then quieter atmospheric and more exploratory passages. The later singing becomes much more forceful, helping the long piece arrive at a substantial conclusion. The different sections show what the band can achieve when the changes are given enough purpose.
The record is less convincing when its pace and intensity remain too similar for too long. Some songs need more separation from those around them, and the drum sound could blend more naturally in places. Yet Afterthoughts contains detailed, expressive music and several strong arrangements. Its best moments give Nosound's atmospheric approach a useful sharper edge.
