This debut album from Los Angeles’ Sleeptalk is built on visual emotion. One minute it feels like you are driving through the city at midnight, staring at the buildings on either side of you and letting the neon glow from their signs partially blind you. The next it feels like you are laying in bed in the early hours of the morning, staring out your window into the never-ending darkness. Before you know realise the change, it feels as though you are stood in the centre of a night club, letting the heat of the people around you and noise of the music blaring from the speakers pull you into a deep sense of euphoria. Perhaps a touch of imagination is needed, but this is more than just a collection of pretty pop-rock songs.
There’s a real familiarity to the sound that Sleeptalk produce. Owing a lot to the 80’s revival that bands such as The 1975 have helped to trigger yet also drawing just as much influence from mid 00’s emo and pop-punk trends, the band have created an album that can be placed in more than one musical realm without spreading themselves too thin.
‘Indio, California’ bubbles with intoxicating synths and delicious bass while the slow burning ‘Bones’ oozes sleepy pop sensibility and ‘February’ builds on its creamy heartbroken core with frontal lobe bothering licks.
What Sleeptalk have done with this record is carve out the sort of sound that many a band take years to develop. Sexy, sultry and sugary sweet, there is a little something for everyone here, Despite a few moments where things get a little bit too indulgent, this is a thoroughly lovely album that is more than worth your time and energy.
3/5
‘Sleeptalk’ by Sleeptalk is out now on Artery Recordings.
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Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)
