SLEEPEATER have managed to put out an impressive debut. I’m assuming this self-titled record is their first. This CD came with no bio, which kind of makes for a more interesting listen to a degree. How many band members? I would say three guys with the guitarist singing lead and the bassist providing harmonies. The songs with keyboards have no guitar parts, so it’s hard to imagine more than three band members. The guitar tone is very bluesy, yet very distorted, and the rhythm section tight. The musicians that comprise SLEEPEATER are pretty top-notch. Amateurs these guys are not.

The album’s opener “Adonite” starts this off with promise and slides right into “Synergy” which has killer groove qualities and a noise/solo section not unlike NELS CLINE’s finer moments. It segues smoothly into the mellow jazzy sounds of “The Ghost Song Part 2” (possibly the best composition on this disc), which has gets loud when it needs to. When the keys take over on “2 Minutes Hate” it’s hard not to compare them to AWESOME NEW REPUBLIC. The vocal harmonies and keys are very similar to the aforementioned former Miami (now New York) residing group. I doubt SLEEPEATER is even aware of ANR (who’s “ANR So Far” CD made my top 10 of 2005), but the similarities are uncanny. The track’s intro includes a phone conversation between a decelerated Darth Vader-like voice and a sped up chipmunk provocateur. The weird noises in the background make me think of pre SST era NEGATIVLAND. These guys have a reel-to-reel recorder that they like to play with. Analog is fun, what can we say.

“The Antidote” is another great guitar-driven pop song. The bridge in this one is totally killer! God I love this band! “Somnambulance 2” has some cool Rhodes-style keys put through the wah pedal and distortion. The bass gets funky in more of a Mike Watt vein. Near the end it almost sounds like SOFT MACHINE circa 1969. “Corydoor” has the drums panned to one side, the bass on the other, and the guitar/vocals in the middle. The last third of the tune is an ambient synth wash. It slides right into “Well Enough Alone” which contains harmonized guitar parts, the bands most technical playing thus far and one or two synth washes creeping in and out of the mix (tying it to the previous song). The Rhodes piano returns for the ever-mellow ballad “Choke”. It ends with same soloed high hat (speed panned from left to right, back and forth) that opened the first track. Neat.

This band takes me back a little. SLEEPEATER remind me of the days when the term “indie” was about non-conformist bands who were actually on “independent” labels. It was in galaxy long ago and far away - before a bunch of conformist cardigan-wearing trendoid dorks high jacked the meaning forever. The kind of people who think the music world began with unoriginal weak corporate crap like THE PIXIES and STEREOLAB (who should have called themselves NEU 2). Back in the day when there were the SST/Homestead/Twin Tone/You Name It groups who could actually play their instruments quite well like THE MINUTEMEN, SLOVENLY, DINOSAUR, FIREHOSE, SCRATCH ACID, CLOCKHAMMER, AGITPOP, NICE STRONG ARM, etc. Enough bitching. SLEEPEATER got a great CD and the Ralph Steadman-ish artwork makes the grade as well.

- Herring

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/sleepeater

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