Nothing have never been a band that plays it safe, but with their new single toothless coal, it feels like they’re leaning even further into that discomfort they’ve always thrived in. The track arrives ahead of their upcoming album a short history of decay, due out February 27th via Run For Cover, and it might be one of the most direct and heavy moments they’ve put out yet.
If you’ve been following the rollout, toothless coal sits alongside earlier singles cannibal world and purple strings, but it pushes the sound somewhere darker and more abrasive. There’s an industrial grind to it, closer to a bruised shoegaze nightmare than anything hazy or nostalgic. Where cannibal world leaned baggy and loose, and purple strings stripped things right back, this one feels claustrophobic and confrontational. It’s the sound of a band deliberately stretching the edges of what they’re known for.
That variety is kind of the point. a short history of decay is shaping up to be Nothing’s most expansive record so far, both sonically and emotionally. This is their fifth album, but it doesn’t feel like a band coasting on experience. It feels like a reckoning. Frontman Domenic “Nicky” Palermo sounds more exposed than ever, grappling with time, memory, illness, and the slow realization that the body doesn’t always keep up with the mind.
Part of that clarity comes from a newly locked-in lineup, featuring members with roots in Cloakroom, Best Coast, and beyond. The result is a record that feels widescreen and crushing at the same time. Recorded with intention rather than excess, it captures Nothing at their most unflinching, leaving things raw instead of smoothing them over.
What makes this chapter hit harder is knowing where it’s coming from. Nothing has always been a therapeutic outlet for Palermo, and a short history of decay leans fully into that truth. Rather than hiding behind layers of effects, he’s letting imperfections exist in the open. The themes aren’t dressed up or dramatized. They’re lived-in, uncomfortable, and painfully human.
Despite how heavy the subject matter is, there’s something grounding about this release. It doesn’t feel hopeless. It feels honest. Like someone finally sitting still long enough to take stock of everything that’s happened, good and bad, and deciding to document it rather than outrun it.
Alongside the new music, Nothing are heading out on tour starting February 8th, including dates across Japan, North America, and the UK, and later this year they’ll host their Slide Away festival while celebrating the anniversary of Tired of Tomorrow. It all adds to the sense that this band is fully present again, not just releasing music, but building a moment around it.
toothless coal isn’t an easy listen, but it’s not meant to be. It’s another step toward what feels like Nothing’s most personal record yet, and if this track is anything to go by, a short history of decay is going to linger long after the noise fades.
