Sleepaway

Sleepaway

(No Milk)

Record Review by Amber Henson

Sleepaway has all the elements to become big.  Their soft voiced, sweet rock—kind of like the Ataris, except softer—is enough to make any teenage girl to obsess over it, and their songs are sad enough to pick up the emo kids and rockin’ enough to pick up the indie kids.  The music industry is a fickle thing, so we shall have to wait and see - but if they do make it, they will make it.

In this day and age of the X-Games and constant endorsements, there’s a note on the album that I haven’t seen before: on the inside cover, it says “Sleepaway Uses:” such and such guitars, drumsticks, strings, energy drinks, and wears such and such clothing.  Wow, we can’t escape advertisements even for a simple band from Buffalo.

But I digress.  The industry comparisons of Sleepaway to Jimmy Eat World are right on, although these kids are all skinny and under 20.  All of the ten songs on the album are either directed to a ‘you’ or are concerning a ‘she.’  This is, of course, the world that wraps up 20-year-old guys, and it is also, conveniently, the world that teen girls love to hear about.  For instance, “From My Bed to Yours” contains some pleasing vocals and lyrics like “Hearts crawled through phone calls closer everyday.  When you need love I’ll be too far away.”

The last track is entitled “Sorry I Never Bought You a Car or Took You to Vegas.”  That kind of gives you a sense of the band; they’re somewhat sarcastic and biting, but you can tell that there’s still sweetness in them.  They actually are sorry that they didn’t take you to Vegas.  You should talk to them about it.  They owe you.