Cloud Nothings began as a lo-fi bedroom solo project but they have blossomed into a legitimate rock band over the past eight years. Dylan Baldi’s last two LPs, 2012’s Attack on Memory and 2014’s Here and Nowhere Else, capitalized on the visceral drama of the group’s live show, enriching his noisy indie-rock with a live-in-the-room spark. Life Without Sound is the next logical step in this evolution: maintaining the heaviness of those previous albums, but with the studio polish and melodic focus of a more mature band. Sound kicks off with the brooding “Up to the Surface,” a balance of post-punk atmosphere and lullaby vocals that could be a Fleetwood Mac song if it wasn’t for the distortion. Even their most unhinged moments, like the snarling pop-punk of “Darkened Rings” or the jagged dagger guitar fills of “Internal World,” gleam like a freshly waxed limousine. But don’t mistake smooth production for sanitized songwriting. The album climaxes with a tirade, with Baldi spiraling into madness over a cacophony of cymbals and guitar splatter. “I find it hard to realize my fate,” he yelps. On the musical front, he’s making it sound easy.