“Tonight, we pour it all onstage/ The passion and the rage,” croons Chris Klinck in his sore-throat enunciation on “Frankfurt AM,” the typically anthemic opener to Nowherebound’s sixth LP. These qualities mark every second of the most ambitious full-length from Austin’s most resourceful punk band. A decade after taking form as a side project for New Disaster guitarist Natchet Taylor and Born to Lose frontman Klinck, the sixpiece fleshed out by bassist Clint Baker, drum anchor Rob Williamson, second six-stringer Dylan Karn, and guitarist/keyboardist/secret weapon Chelsea Barbo reaches for the heavens on two white vinyl discs. The sky-punching bombast of 1978 Clash meets Irish folk music and some of the post-Springsteen, play-to-the-balconies glory stomping of Gaslight Anthem. Tunes like “Six Hearts on Fire” and “No Horse Town” are some of their best yet. No Austin outfit plays with such fire, skill, or grit.
This article appears in January 3 • 2020.
