Album review: Sleepy Sun 'Fever'

When Sleepy Sun decided to name themselves as such, it was probably in order to reflect their native California and the chilled, yet somewhat psychedelic, nature of their music. Ironically, the Sleepy aspect of their title has proven all too real as despite their obvious homage to old-school rock and blues, a couple of tracks prove themselves to be so languid that it’s hard not to drift into a slumber yourself when listening.

Marina, the opening to the album, is very promising, with electric guitar riffs creating a searing intro, somewhat reminiscent of Hendrix’s style and the corresponding era which their sound seems to be aiming towards. However, these soon give way to slow and torpid vocals, backed by a lethargic drum beat which completely takes the tone of the song in the opposite direction to which it started. As the album progresses however, the frequent and swift changes between the two tempos becomes a prevailing occurrence, sometimes to the extent where the switchover happens so fast that it appears the band themselves barely even knew it was coming.

Their sound is undeniably daring, as they showcase at least five different genres over the course of the record, albeit some only for brief moments. African tribal beats and vocals provide a stark contrast to acute and jagged guitar riffs, whilst harmonicas and country twangs in Desert God really demonstrate the band’s willingness to experiment with and amalgamate different sounds.

Some songs, such as Rigamaroo, see the band make a complete u-turn, as the instrumentals that have played such a prominent role in other songs are cast aside completely for stripped-back vocals and barely-there acoustic guitar plucks. However, because the vocals are so slow and breezy, it’s not long before you’re lulled into a drowsy state and encouraging people to sleep is not meant to be the purpose of a record. Bluesy drum beats in Freedom Line gives proceedings later on in the album a bit of a kick, but by this point it’s not enough to fully re-engage attention.

As admirable as Sleepy Sun’s stylistic risks may be, their daring often works against them. The varying melodies and speedy tempo changes unfortunately only serve to work against each other rather than complement, because they are so unstructured and extravagant that ultimately all that is left is a confused melee of differing noises. The band’s ambition to create something unusual is overshadowing their evident talent, and this needs to be adjusted in order for their music to really shine through.

This review was originally posted on www.culturedeluxe.com