Album Review: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

Nine Inch Nails
Hesitation Marks
Rating: Woof Daddy

Hesitation Marks, the title of the 8th album under Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails moniker, refers to preliminary wounds made before a suicide attempt, and here there are plenty of references to being on the brink, trying to pull oneself back. It is no secret that Rezor has faced his share of demons over the years, but now, nearing 50, he's married, with two kids, and an Oscar winner, he seems more grounded than ever and still able to put out some of his most vital work since his 90s hey-days. Over these 14 tracks, Reznor revisits his past in a way, but looking at it from up above and with a more critical eye, touching on many of the same themes he has always worked with, however, much more wiser and kinder to himself. The sound of the record too touches on every facet of his career, from the electro-EBM of Pretty Hate Machine, studio excess of The Fragile, glitchy/claustrophobia of Year Zero, and even his masterful industrial synthpop of The Downward Spiral. This is not Reznor trying to reclaim what he once was/had or simply an exercise in nostalgia, it is an natural progression and amalgamation of all his incarnations, and one of his most vital records in years.

Working with longtime producer Alan Moulder and current collaborator Atticus Ross, Reznor is working on a more skeletal platform than usual, but instead of seeming too spartan actually helps the progression of tracks, and adds to the feeling of claustrophobia and tension. From the opening synthetic strains of the pulsating and ominous "Copy of A," Reznor builds off a core idea, never allowing the tracks to be overcome by too many elements.



And thankfully, Reznor is not afraid to be generous with the hooks this go around. While more recent works tended to go heavy on atmosphere over melody, here on Hesitation Marks, the hooks are fast and furious and keep on coming. From the lurching and buzzy first single "Came Back Haunted," throbbing EBM of "Running," and even the maligned punk-pop track "Everything"



Reznor shows why he was and still is the master of mixing the alternative and pop together. And yes, "Everything" sticks out like a sore thumb on the record and really doesn't fit in with the theme or feel of the record, but is so darn catchy you will forgive him for its inclusion.

Another interesting thing about the record is that there is an underlying funkiness to it, as if Reznor has been listening to a lot of old Prince albums. "Satellite," my favorite track on Hesitation Marks, has a funky bassline and percolating percussion that underlying its seething edge,



"All Time Low," even reverts back to his rap-sing attempts on Pretty Hate Machine as the deep funk of its bassline and rhythm guitars pushes it forward,

while on penultimate track "While I Am Still Here," Reznor even finds a way to throw in a horn break down.



There is a good mix of different styles and moods on the record even if Reznor tends to stick to a more muted palate, especially on tracks like "Find My Way" and Disappointed" that find him being about as minimal as he as ever been. But Reznor still knows how to provide a sense of drama regardless of what he is working with. There is a dazzling trio of tracks at the end of the record that prove Reznor just gets better with age. "Various Methods of Escape" seethes with an underlying energy that erupts in controlled bursts, "I Would For You" pretends to be a slow burner until the chorus explodes with cinematic grandeur,



and "In Two" finally releases all that pent up energy and anger into a furious swell of dense electronics and roaring guitars.



Ultimately what makes Hesitation Marks such a vital record is that Reznor is doing what he always does, but with more sense of purpose and less clutter. He is simply focusing on the music he wants to make without having to resort to aping his former work, but not neglecting his rich back catalog, using it as a frame reference to evolve his sound, and finally not trying to "sound" relevant by throwing in shameless nods to current trends such as dubstep and EDM. Hesitation Marks is Reznor finding his way again, and putting out one of the records of the year.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.