Album Rec: Caught Fire - Nobody's Listening Anyway

Caught Fire

Nobody’s Listening Anyway

Ashtray Monument Records

I’ve made it a personal mission of mine to introduce people to St. Petersburg, Florida’s Caught Fire for the few years I’ve been watching and listening to them. And I’ve found no better way to do that than to just say, “here, listen to this,” and pop in their 2024 debut full length release, Nobody’s Listening Anyway.

Caught Fire released three singles in the year or so leading up to the album’s release, and with each one laid bare onto streaming services, I had a feeling this 14-track album would be a good one. Call it confirmation bias, call it whatever, but Nobody’s Listening Anyway turned out to be one of my favorite albums of the year. Turns out, somebody was listening (sorry I’ll show myself out). 

Released October 18, 2024 (hey what do you know, that’s my birthday), Nobody’s Listening Anyway is melodic punk rock done proper. There are a lot of influences at work here that I won’t try to qualify definitively, but I get shades of The Flatliners, Hot Water Music, Samiam and The Holy Mess sprinkled throughout. 

Made up of guitarist Nick Sibilia, bassist and vocalist Jon “Waffles” Rafalski, drummer Matt Greenhaus, and lead vocalist and guitarist Scott Wolff, Caught Fire is that rare band that can effectively meld intensity with thoughtful emotion. The songs on Nobody’s Listening Anyway hit hard from the jump. The first track, Waiting, busts down the door with the opening line “Mundane shit to pass the time,” but there is little mundane to be found here.

There’s a casual, unworried tone to Wolff’s lyrics on Waiting and the second track, You’ll Never Get It, a more poppy offering that would feel at home on a Bouncing Souls album. The tone shifts to something more like lived experience for a punk band on the third track, Kings of the Ambulance. Kings maintains that sense of accepting things as they are, despite how shitty that may be. 

“Outcasts forever

We’ll never fit in or be a member

Of their society”

Two Thumbs Down is the first anthemic type song on the album, and immediately makes an impact. Reminiscent of Cavalcade or Dead Language era Flatliners, the song feels so balanced the whole way through. As a bassist (and admittedly a big fan of Rafalski’s bass playing), that opening slide down is super fun. The bass tone Rafalski achieves on Nobody’s Listening Anyway is like a delicious gravy over the tasty mashed potatoes of Greenhaus’ drumming. 

Now is probably a good time to mention how much I love the mixing on this album. Recorded and mixed by Caught Fire’s own Wolff at Rock Garden Recording in St. Pete and Woodson Street Recording in Tampa, every song here sounds intentional, full and dynamic. I’ve been a fan of Wolff’s work on his previous band’s albums (look up Resistors) as well as his work on the Lot Lizards EPs: Doomsday Kegger and Try to Accept That You Are Losing It. No surprise this album rips. 

Sibilia’s guitar work is superb throughout, and mixed with Wolff, it would be a tall order to improve on the guitars on this record. Vocally, Wolff carries the load, belting out each line with equal parts melody, grit and emotion. However, Rafalski features on lead vocals for two tracks: House Divided and Brings May, adding some nearly-shouted intensity to the proceedings while keeping the same honest, heart-felt vibe. The trading off vocal duties, harmonies and backups gives big Menzingers vibes. Underneath it all is a rock solid foundation of killer beats and fills by Greenhaus. I dig it all. 

Speaking of Murder is another track that reminds me a lot of the Flatliners. Wolff’s vocal delivery along with the arrangement make this one easy to get into. The following track Crash is another killer punk anthem that is certainly prime to be sung along to in a shitty dive. 

Protest Withdrawn follows in those melodic punk footsteps with its slow and steady build up. It’s here where the album really settles into a groove. Chip is such a cool song that sways between calm emotion and desperate shouts, with the instrumental dynamics on full display. The quiet bridge to crushing build up pipeline near the end is one of my favorite parts of any Caught Fire song. Sick Bats has some cool bass work that reminds me of The Flatliners song Dead Hands.

House Divided changes the vibe up a little with a guitar driven, high energy punk charger. Rafalski gives a killer performance vocally here with Wolff’s backups giving the chorus that extra elevating heft. They return to a more anthemic sound again with the following track, Any Last Words. The chorus ‘whoas’ make this one a perfect sing along that would make the Bouncing Souls proud. 

Oddly enough, the final three songs are the punchiest, most satisfying three-song combo platter on this album for me. Safety is a 1:31 of intense melodic punk, with some of my favorite guitar riffs on the album. Memo from the Sports Desk was my introduction to Caught Fire when they released it as their first single and remains my favorite song from these guys. It’s such a well-crafted song with interesting parts, tight melody and a catchy hook (which I’m a big sucker for). The bridge breakdown that leaves the bass and drums carrying a steady rhythm as the guitars enter and serenade each other… delicious. The album ends with excellent depth on Brings May. The guitars with Rafalski’s vocals are a great harbinger to the end of a damn good album. The track slowly creeps up the intensity until it ends in an explosion of sing-along goodness. 

“And I hope you are not alone.”

It’s been out for a while, but Nobody’s Listening Anyway needs to be re-titled. If nobody’s listening, they’re damn sure missing out.

Nobody’s Listening Anyway is available now on vinyl and streaming services everywhere.

https://caughtfireband.bandcamp.com/album/nobodys-listening-anyway