Artist Of The Day: Sleeping Lessons

It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that post-hardcore as a genre has seen a drop in both quality and quantity in recent years. One band who doesn't fit the unfortunately growing trend however is La Dispute, who are arguably the finest post-hardcore band still regularly active today. It comes as no surprise then to see new bands following a similar blueprint to that set by La Dispute, especially given the success of their 2011 release Wildlife. Enter Sleeping Lessons and their debut EP, Cellar Door. A Cheltenham based four piece, Sleeping Lessons marry melodic guitar lines with harsh vocals and toy with dynamics in varying song structures, resulting in a diverse debut EP that avoids many of the pitfalls newer bands are often associated with.

A staple of Cellar Door EP are the intricate guitar lines that bubble just beneath the surface during the verses and come crashing forward to do battle with the vocals in the heavy sections. “Eleven Eleven” expertly demonstrates this formula with a lead riff that opens serenely before quickly matching the ferocity of the vocals to boost the songs intensity, whilst final track “Winter Mourning” sees Sleeping Lessons ditch restraint and show off their hardcore influences with an all round relentless performance, akin to that of Ruiner in their Prepare To Be Let Down era. Whether these weighty and hyperbole-ridden comparisons have persuaded you that Sleeping Lessons might well be the real deal, the potential that they have demonstrated on their first EP exceeds that of many debutants.

Although it comes too late to be included in our free music February feature, you can still check out their EP at their Bandcamp for free right here.