Sleeptalker - Simplify Simplify
Rating
RIYL
AirelineTravis
Radiohead
MuteMath
Tracklist
1. The Boy and the Scientist2. South for the Winter
3. Great Wall of China
4. Follow Your Guns
5. Many Bells Down
6. Leaf Upon the Wind
7. Another Great Man Falls Victim to Another Great Lie
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“I’ll take 'Indie Bands' for $400, Alex.”
”The answer is 'A collection of songs that are simultaneously some of the sweetest lullabies, the most heartfelt of love songs, and a handful of melancholy anthems for longing and self-discovery.'”
”Who is Sleeptalker?”
Having a group of musicians that wear their hearts on their sleeves in such a beautiful fashion does not happen nearly enough. It happens, but bands like Sleeptalker come along far more sparingly than our music industry could stand for them to. Rising from the ashes of a Tennessee based band with a cult-like following named Aireline, Sleeptalker wastes no time in putting their money on the table.
Mason Frenzel’s vocals convey such a sense of candidness and absolution in their presentation that any shortcomings in the lyrics department could most assuredly be overlooked. It is with great pleasure that any such forgiveness need not be employed as the band utilizes a “thinking man’s” approach to their expressions. Each song is commendable, but “Great Wall of China” and “The Boy & the Scientist” are some of the most moving pieces in recent memory. While being both beautiful and earnest, the singing also manages to be quite infectious; the falsetto laced chorus of “Another Great Man Falls Victim to Another Great Lie” is sure to have each one of its listeners singing along by song’s end (though that’s not the only one).
It is with equal pleasure that it be stated that the combined efforts of all four musicians provide an equivalent musical landscape for their beautiful words. Each song has such a unique flavor while not needing to completely change styles or attempt to blend too many genres. The easiest description for the music would be “piano rock”, though don’t mistake this band for a bunch of John Tesh hopefuls. Most of the tunes will have your head bobbing along doing your best air piano with no reservations. That being said, they are not to be considered overly poppy either; they offer up music that is equally melancholy and pensive to Mr. Frenzel’s subject matter, just with a kick!
This “mini-album” (the band swears to simplysimply’s lack of EP status) is a lot of grandeur packed into 28 and a half minutes. It’s more than enough to quench your thirst for now, but easily leaves you wanting more. Fortunately, a follow up full-length album is in the works, but that’s not to say that this disc should be passed over in the meantime. It’s a perfect example of the magic that can happen when you put the right musicians, with the right chemistry, in a room and hit record.
--Jeremy Deal
Comments
you forgot Ben Folds Five in your RIYL.
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
VT
My first reaction to the jeopardy answer in the review was actually snow patrol.
My Top Songs of '09
The Appleseed Cast//as the little things go
Caspian//sycamore
Sunwrae//Chinook Winds
Dredg//down to the seller
If These Trees Could Talk//the sun is in the north
From Monument to Masses//an ounce of prevention
Straylight Run//i'm through with the past
LpShinobi's Post-Rock and Shoegazing Recommendation, via YouTube
Lpshinobi's Post-Rock Band, New Song Posted
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against