nothing,nowhere. “Pretend” Track Review

American singer-songwriter and rapper Joe Mulherin, better known as nothing,nowhere., explores his potential as a vocalist and musician with his new song, “Pretend”. Although this isn’t the first time the Massachusetts-born artist has demonstrated his flair for melding genres, he continues to turn heads by going all-out with each style he implements. Mulherin is not taking any of his abilities for granted, and has found a solid balance in which he can prove them all in three substantial minutes.

The murky texture of the low-pitched guitars is finely-tuned to accompany the crestfallen rhymes, and once that vibrant chorus hits, the song’s dynamic nature really starts to shine. Mulherin sings of a love fantasy in a pop punk-inspired tone that beautifully contrasts the disheartened rapping of the verses. The song as a whole showcases how much he has grown as a vocalist and songwriter, utilizing impassioned cleans that build into contorted screams over glistering strings and battered drums. The rising energy of the bridge was somewhat disappointing when it didn’t escalate into a booming instrumental section, but as nothing,nowhere. persists in expanding his sound, maybe something similar will come out of a future release.

Watch the “Pretend” music video below and stream on Spotify and Apple Music!