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Sunday, March 6, 2011

Album Review: Sleeping At Last - Yearbook - March EP

Is it that time of the month again? Sleeping At Last have graced us yet again with another Yearbook EP, and where February lost me, March has ensnared me once more in the pervasive beauty of Sleeping At Last once again.

Adventuring as they did in January, Sleeping At Last begin March with a beautifully orchestrated instrumental piece that floods the listener with all the joys of the duo's piano work and robust string work. "Pacific," was born for cinema-quality moments in time, and it is wonderful to hear Sleeping At Last flex their instrumental prowess again.



Ryan O' Neal's gentle croons make their grand entrance after some subtle electronic sounds slip their fingers through the opening doors of "Outlines." Arguments could be made for O' Neal's voice having the problem of never straying from his comfort zone, but it matters very little when the listener's ears are cradled by one of the most impressive falsettos in indie-pop music.

The guest appearance of Switchfoot's Jon Foreman on "Birthright" is a bit of a letdown when considering the strength of the preceding songs of March, but Foreman does a decent job of letting lines like "Our only birthright in this life/ is the breath that we take," flow naturally alongside O'Neal's voice. The two voices are by no means easily comparable, so it is nice to hear them blend so well within the context of the song.

As I had hoped, Sleeping At last has continued progressing further with their sound while still managing to retain that fragile-as-glass sound. The Yearbook EPs have a few months left before the project expires, so here is to hoping that the duo manages to keep aural evolution at a natural pace that sees these upcoming summer months as the brightest moments for Sleeping at Last yet.

Track Listing:
  1. Pacific
  2. Outlines
  3. Birthright (feat. Jon Foreman)

Buy here.

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