Sleeping People are a shining example of what independent labels can foster: experimental, honest, iconoclastic music, written and performed by artists who push the envelope in the originality department. A New York-based art-rock/jazz combo that plug away at making music that they want to hear, their shining ethereality goes a long way, interwoven as it is between a rock and jazz dichotomy. The songs are all instrumentals, save the latter part of the final cut; no words necessary here. There is plenty of communication within the tightly knit jazz-rock hybrid driven by the eclectic, complementary guitars of Joileah Maddock and Kasey Boekholdt along with Brandon Reiff, who was all over the place on drums.
The song “James Spader” is a slick, jazzbo-rock, rollercoaster ride of a track. “Yellow Guy/Pink Eye” and “Mouth Breeder” are a little darker, with a more rock feel, threads of syncopation, some undercurrent, edgy funkiness and a passion for being new and fresh. “Underland” is an odyssey that really gets to the heart of interstellar space; Tortoise comes to mind, as does Apeyga, who are bit more on the rock side, but have a similar MO. The closing track, “People Staying Awake” has a bit of a King Crimson vibe a la syncopation, the jazz-tinged drumming and steady bass and is the only song to feature vocals in an otherwise instrumental album.
Could be this year’s sleeper.
--Kent Manthie
