2025 has been a truly productive year for Las Vegas-based creative NUDNIK, known by day as Robert Marc Lieblein. Most artists would struggle to release one whole album: Lieblein gave us two. Of course, it’s reasonable to think that such a record represents the pinnacle of years of writing and artistic research, something that’s partly confirmed by the deep eclecticism carried by the project. ‘iNODE’ saw the light in February, then followed by ‘Under The Underground’ at the very pointy end of December. A few months have passed by now, and we’d like to delve deeper into the latter album.
Compared to its predecessor, ‘Under The Underground’ showcases a more nuanced and complete sonic picture, in what can be considered as NUDNIK’s personal and artistic growth. Over thirteen episodes, the record unveils “themes of time, identity, and the search for meaning beneath modern life”, as we are told. This is a layered compositional effort: from the many lyrical planes to the various genres included in its aural counterpart, ‘Under The Underground’ feels plastic, yet also twitchy and decadent.
‘Every Second Counts’ gets focus track role, and can be seen as its primary single. In it, we find a more expansive and electronic-driven arrangement, temporarily taking a break from NUDNIK’s gloomier alt-rock personality. That said, the piece is still lined with new-wave adjacent guitars, with Lieblein’s vocals also carrying a certain theatrical, dramatic quality. Overall, ‘Under The Underground’ is an album that asks questions and tries to give us a few answers. You might resonate with them.
Recommended! Discover ‘Under The Underground’ now: