Cloud Nothings_Jesse Lirola.jpg

Cloud Nothings, founded by Westlake native Dylan Baldi, officially release the band's fifth studio album "Life Without Sound'' on Friday, Jan. 27. But before then, Northeast Ohio fans can hear it with a CD release gig at Beachland Ballroom on Thursday, Jan. 26. From left are Chris Brown, Baldi, TJ Duke, Jayson Gerycz.

(Jesse Lirola)

PREVIEW

Cloud Nothings

When

: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26.

Where:

Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood.

Openers:

Mist, the Cowboy.

Tickets:

$15 in advance, $18 day of show, at the box office, online at

and by phone at 216-383-1124.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Boredom. Dylan Baldi and his band Cloud Nothings owe it all to boredom.

"I grew up in Westlake,'' said Baldi in a call to his Cleveland home - which is NOT in Westlake. "Particularly as a kid, there just isn't that much to do in Westlake, so I spent a lot of time in my room listening to music alone.''

Contrary to what it may seem, that turned out to be time well spent. The band - which really began with Baldi writing, singing, playing and recording all the parts and has morphed into a full-fledged group - releases a fourth studio album, "Life Without Sound'' with a show at Beachland Ballroom on Thursday, Jan. 26.

"I liked going to shows and I wanted to play the Grog Shop, wanted to play at Beachland - that was my goal for a while,'' he said.

"Life Without Sound'' is the fourth studio release for Cleveand-based Cloud Nothings.

Now, seven years into a career that shows no signs of slowing and every sign of expanding, he's still excited at the prospect of playing the Beachland. But after that much time playing tours throughout North America and Europe, he's gotten just a teensy bit more jaded.

"The only difference [about playing Europe] is you don't know what people are saying a lot of the time,'' Baldi said, chuckling. "It's funny to be in a place where you know people don't speak your language. There's a lot more pointing and gesturing than in America.''

But that's about it as far as differences.

"The shows are similar,'' he said. "You can still play the crappy clubs outside of beautiful Paris, France, that you can play in Cleveland, Ohio. But sometimes, you get more bread in Italy backstage behind a show than you get if you play in Fargo, North Dakota.''

The good news is that those crappy bars - and the scrappy ones, like Beachland - will get to see and hear Cloud Nothings, and especially the group's new album.

"Life Without Sound'' is a wonderful progression from its predecessor, the critically acclaimed - and rightfully so - "Here and Nowhere Else.''

"I guess the first stuff I ever did - technically it's the same,'' he said. "I have the same general manner of doing things where I'll sort of just sit at my computer with my guitar and headphones on, and layer pieces and parts until I have something that sounds good, and then work on it from there.''

The difference in the albums really has two roots at its core: One, that the band was able to take a year to write and refine "Life Without Sound'' rather than being pressed to turn around a new in a tight time frame, and two, it's truly a band thing now.

He and band mates drummer Jayson Gerycz and bassist T.J. Duke worked together to put a shine on such songs as "Up to the Surface,'' "Things Are Right With You'' and "Modern Act.''

"It definitely feels more collaborative now than it has at any point in the past,'' Baldi said. "We did a lot of rehearsing in a practice room on [West] 96th [Street] and Madison [Avenue]. I would come in with an idea for a song, run through it a couple of times.

"From there, we would talk about it and try to mutate things, and it really turned out pretty different from how it started,'' Baldi said. "It would be something that I wouldn't have gotten to on my own.''

That's a newfound maturity for him, he admitted. The kid who liked to sit alone in his room has realized that there's not just safety in numbers, but wisdom.

"It's rare when one person can do everything,'' Baldi said.

And considerably less boring.