Review: sleepmakeswaves ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’
I would not recommend listening to It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It while at work, especially if your job involves working from a desk. Doing so may cause the intense desire to leave whatever you are doing to find the nearest mountain range to run along. Fortunately, I live in the heart of the mountains and enjoy time outdoors, so this album became a favorite accompanying soundtrack for those adventures. The high and uplifting energy it puts out is a fantastic soundtrack for such activities. The slower moments are also a great opportunity to relax and enjoy whatever view you have at the time.
sleepmakeswaves is one of those bands I had wanted to check out for some time but, as that list grows at an ever-increasing pace, had not done so before hearing the latest album. I will be attending Post. Festival in Indianapolis, and since they are playing it, I decided to finally give them a listen.
The band is mostly instrumental and hails from Down Under (Australia, not Hell). In my experience with instrumental bands, many of them tend to fall into noodly guitar wankery (I won’t name any bands). sleepmakeswaves does a fantastic job of not going this route, and instead focuses on atmosphere, catchy melodies, and riffs.
The album opens up with heavy synths of All Hail Skull (piano was the start of my musical journey so keys will always hold a special place in my heart) and quickly jumps straight into some upbeat jams and fun guitar leads. Again, the leads never feel showy or out of place, it is just a perfect way to carry a song. One of the first things I noticed was how well all the instruments (bass guitar included) were balanced, all cutting through the mix and being well defined.
Super Ream Park again begins with synths and continues the high and joyous energy and has one of my favorite melodies on the album. The build up to the end of the song is masterfully crafted.
an epic crescendo of pummeling toms and snare setting the backbone of psyched out synths and guitars…
The third track, Ritual Control, was one I found myself often repeating during listens, mostly for the finale. A very memorable riff leads into an epic crescendo of pummeling toms and snare setting the backbone of psyched out synths and guitars along with some really fun bass lines, which then jumps back into the riff to end in epic fashion.
A welcomed break in the intensity is found in Black Paradise and Verdigris, with the latter being an ambient track awash in synths and piano. Terror Future is the first time we hear vocals on the album and are integrated in a way that sounds like another instrument. It is almost as if it is still an instrumental track.
The title track, It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It, follows and takes the slow burn approach that builds into an epic finale that I think will be the favorite moment of the album for many people. The melody at the end being repeated slowly on piano as the song finishes is a beautiful touch. It is little moments like these that show sleepmakeswaves really know their craft.
We are then greeted by the album closer, This Close Forever, which is another track I found myself often repeating. That final lead we hear is just so dang catchy! The ending riff is also assertive in a ‘this is the end of the journey’ sort of way. I didn’t need to check and make sure it was the final track, I just knew.
While the album isn’t something I choose to listen to while lounging around, I find myself often jamming to it when a high energy activity is involved. It is truly a soundtrack for doing epic shit.
Label: Bird’s Robe | Dunk!records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: Ben Brackin
