Review by Shannon Shumaker
Full of dreamy melodies and spacey, soothing instrumentation, Sleeptalk’s Young EP is not only easy to listen to, but it is calming, relaxing, and leaves you feeling refreshed by the time it comes to an end. Sleeptalk’s sound on this second installment of their EP trilogy definitely does share some elements with The 1975, like their poppy choruses and dreamy guitar work, but they’ve developed a sound all their own.
Opening Young is “Phenomenon,” which is a rather short track, but serves as the perfect intro for the EP, setting the mood for the songs to come. “Phenomenon” is mellow and soothing before exploding and coming together and then fading out quietly. The following song, and the EP’s title track is much poppier right off the bat, with catchy guitar work and a strong bass line. The vocal runs in this track are reminiscent of The 1975, but as mentioned before, the band creates a sound all their own when the song really comes together. It doesn’t sound as if Sleeptalk are trying to be anyone else, and the result is a sound that is both familiar and refreshing. Not only are the vocals in “Young” fun to listen to, but the vocal range in this song is incredible. “Young” is the perfect snapshot of Sleeptalk’s signature sound.
“Bones” is a little more on the haunting and eerie side of things, but still keeps that smooth, atmospheric quality of the first two songs on the album. The chorus of “Bones” is easily one of the high points of Young, as it’s big, poppy and catchy while still remaining intense and moody. Following “Bones” is “Drowned Out,” which has some really nice bass work, but overall, this song is the only real weak moment on Young. The song as a whole just feels a little rough compared to the rest of the EP, and the effect on the vocals is a little overpowering. “Drowned Out” just doesn’t seem to fit the mood of the other songs on Young as well, but its saving grace definitely comes in the chorus, which remains catchy and poppy.
Bringing the EP to a strong close is “Drift Away,” which has a very fuzzy and spaced-out quality, bringing it right back to the beginning again. “Drift Away” floats easily through your speakers, really rounding out the sound and mood of Young. There’s no questioning exactly who Sleeptalk are after the EP comes to an end, which will only leave listeners even more excited for the final installment in this series.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Young”
STAY CONNECTED WITH SLEEPTALK: https://www.facebook.com/SLPTVLK