Sleeper Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
At the beginning of 1997, Sleeper were still considered one of the most popular indie-based guitar bands in England, as their songs were staples on the airwaves and Louise Wener was consistently on the covers of music magazines. At the beginning of 1998, they were nearly persona non grata, and there were whispers of the group's imminent demise. That's how hard their third album, Pleased to Meet You, crashed on the charts, but its lack of the success was due more to the changes in British pop than the merits of the album itself. While it lacks the energy of The It Girl, it's ultimately a better-crafted album than Smart, which suffered from too much derivative filler. There's still filler on Pleased to Meet You, but the album demonstrates that Wener's songwriting has strengthened, as her melodies have more weight and her lyrics have more depth. She still has the tendency to go for predictable hooks and easy put-downs, but there's enough muscle and tuneful songs to make this a worthy successor to The It Girl. Nevertheless, it was ignored by the British public, perhaps because it subsitituted the freshness of the first two albums for craftsmanship, which is something that true fans may appreciate more than those who simply follow the pop charts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Once again the state of things in Britain is so puzzling. London's Sleeper makes an LP twice as good as their promising but flawed Smart (killer singles and lots of filler) and receives more respect but less overall attention. Never mind! Turning to old SMITHS engineer STEPHEN STREET is a wise choice, because he's terrific at recording vocals (Morrissey never sounded better than he did in 1987 on Strangeways, Here We Come and 1988's solo Viva Hate), and because Street's guitar/bass/drums sound has so much frothy warmth (unnoticed in the LPs he's made with the more gimmicky BLUR). Singer LOUISE WENER is one of the most forthright human observers around, but her singing needed to improve, and with Street's assistance, it has greatly. On the standout singles "Sale of the Century," the Blondie-like "Statuesque" (think "I'm Always Struck By Your Presence, Dear"), and "Nice Guy Eddie," she tempers the talk-sing that occasionally took away from Smart and emotes with a new empathy for the sensual, caught-up-in-the-chaos characters she creates. And though nothing is quite the total knockout of Smart's "Inbetweener," The It Girl is more consistently accomplished, with a broader palette of influences (mostly Blondie and the Smiths, but lots of great '60s pop and post-punk too), and every song makes you feel something. Sit back and enjoy Wener, one of the most refreshing personalities in all of rock, here flourishing. This is intensive, intelligent relationship-rock that makes you feel alive. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sleeper is a British graduate of Boston's Pixies/Breeders school of edgy, noisy, sometimes claustrophobic guitar-pop, enhanced by a strong female lead. The group's enjoyable, if often unspectacular, melodies succeed beyond their means through the drive of Louise Wener's determined, sexually-charged vocal delivery. ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide
