The Sleeping Albums (3)
'Questions and Answers'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 12
Label Victory
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What The Critics Say
The band's name is strike one: nothing's more pretentious than a gerund. Its tendency towards cutesy bridges and goofy tempo changes isn't a clean strike -- call it a foul tip, for strike two. But what keeps the Sleeping at the plate is its ability to take bits and pieces of everything from screamo to prog to post-rock to hardcore and turn them into a coherent and even compelling pop music whole. The hooks are what make it easy to forgive the waltz-time interlude on "Loud & Clear," and on "Heart Beatz," the stop-and-go rhythms actually work with the song rather than against it, building up a nice tension against the pretty, atmospheric guitar parts. Best of all is "The Climb," a song that puts serious complexity to work in support of its tunefulness; almost as good are a glorified football chant titled "King of Hearts," and a chunky midtempo shouter called "Dearest Mistake." The album ends on a puzzling note, with an attractive but egregiously overlong instrumental number that confirms the band's chops but brings up fresh doubts about its judgment. Recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Believe What We Tell You'
Release Date 7/13/2004
Tracks 13
Label One Day Savior
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Emo bands usually slot into two categories -- fabulous or intolerable, with little room to maneuver in between -- but few manage to be both at once quite like the Sleeping. On their 2004 debut, Believe What We Tell You, the Long Island natives never notch a single, double, or triple; they either smack one out of the park or strike out completely. Ultra-predictable opener "Sunday Matinee (Reel to Reel)" is definitely a strikeout, and so are the yawn-inducing meander of "The Big Breakdown -- Day 2" and its cleverly titled but similarly rambling and arty companion, "If Your Heart Was Broken...You Would Be Dead." Conversely, the energetic "One Flight One Flame" dips into the group's prevalent hardcore and metal nuances with excellent results, and the title track is punctuated by a fantastic melodic figure from guitarist Cameron Keym. In fact, he is clearly the star of the Sleeping, and if their songwriting should catch up to his inventive playing, there's definite promise ahead for the band. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
