ALBUM REVIEW: While You Can – Sunsleeper
Hailing from Salt Lake City, SUNSLEEPER‘s sophomore album While You Can is brimming with a nostalgic quality yet still feels fresh and new and shows just why they’ve managed to successfully solidify their name in the scene.
Porch Light opens the album and it is really immersive. It instantly creates a dream-like feeling through the jangly guitar parts and the whimsical vocals which really showcase how much they’ve grown as a band and how their sound has evolved right from the get-go. In The Clouds follows and it feels a little rockier with the fast pacing in the verses but it slows down during the chorus and just chugs along which creates some contrast with the rest of the track.
SUNSLEEPER seem to use a lot of guitar effects so when Blemishes starts with an acoustic guitar it’s unexpected but works really well. This was released as a single and it’s clear to see why as it just sounds so great as it seems a little rawer and more relaxed with interesting breakdowns which seem to happen wherever but still seem to work. The lyrics are quite deep on this one which is great as it feels a little more heartfelt and personal and therefore a little more relatable. The solo is really quite simple but it still sounds awesome as it just works so well in the song.
Stay Home is up next and it sounds a little like early PALE WAVES or anyone of that calibre with indie rock vibes running all throughout but with an underlying tenderness that is not an easy thing to do. SUNSLEEPER do a really good job of creating a dreamy feel and applying it to their songs, which is not seen a lot in the scene but they make it sound effortless. Anywhere is a lot rawer with the acoustic guitars and little to no effect on the vocals. This one sounds more singer-songwriter/folky which makes a change from their signature dreamy sounds and helps to break the album up a little. It picks up as the song moves forward, and as single notes become strums the vocals get stronger. The arrangement in this song is the main credit here, as is the fact that they’ve retired the effects to give a more stripped-back sound to this track.
Following on is Quitter which keeps to the same theme as it is also a bit more laid back, however this time effects are used. This comes mainly in the form of a distorted guitar but it doesn’t detract from the more relaxed feel of the song. The vocals are more reflective on this track and feel a little reminiscent of JIMMY EAT WORLD.
Currents is possibly the strongest track on the album. It’s subtle and grows as it moves forward which is an experience in itself. The band incorporate both major and minor feels on this track which seem to complement each other rather than clash which is cool to hear. Thief closes the album and it’s like a big send-off standing at five minutes long but it feels like it’s the perfect length as it brings the overall feel of the album and what SUNSLEEPER are capable of into one track. It still keeps that dreamy feel and the lyrics are more personal in this one as well. The end of the track is where everything seems to be in perfect harmony and it seems to bring everything together to make for the perfect closing to the album.
It’s clear to see SUNSLEEPER have really grown since their debut on this album. They’ve defined their signature sound and found their feet and built on that. The dreamlike rock sound they seem to be going for is of course something most of us will have heard in music before, however these guys make it sound fresh and new.
Rating: 7/10
While You Can is set for release on October 7th via Rude Records.
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