Sleeper

What an extraordinary exhibition of influence these songs offer: the echo of a latter day Lloyd Cole album drives a spike through the broken heart of "Heavy Weights," the vaguely new wave "Sound the Alarm"--perhaps the album's finest track--almost prepares you for Hall & Oates to take the mike and belt one out about a woman who only comes out at night as Mark Knopfler straps on a guitar and awaits his part.

If none of the material here really approximates Ward's vision of a rootsy American rock album as closely as he may have desired--Jim Ward still sounds very much like the lead vocalist of Sparta throughout West Texas--it's in his aspiration for a sound so alien to the music he's known for that brings him--and his listeners--to some unexpected creative landscape where willows drip with a melting and late-season snow as an iron and sweeping sky rushes the day to dusk. You lift the collar of your coat to combat a dank chill in the air--one of the last of the season--and you grin and walk right through it as the year closes in on so many warmer days.

Only "Wednesday Nights" and "Fences Down" really hit the alt-country mark Ward seems to set his sights on here, songs that could quite easily pass themselves off as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot outtakes. But, again, it's in the album's misfires that something genuinely fascinating occurs, and it's for that reason that we expect West Texas to feature prominently in many end-of-the-year "best of" lists. Don't miss this record; it's as close to a guaranteed pleasure as we may hear all year.

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I don't know why this album draws comparisons to Between the Buried and Me. To be honest, they sound nothing alike and Between the Buried and Me is in fact my favorite band. They don't sound like The Human Abstract either actually.

Anyways, this is an album that's sure to draw up some emotions. It's dark, heavy and uplifting all at the same time. I would tend to agree that this is one of the best metal albums ever, or at least in the past couple of years. It follows no generic formula and pulls you in from the first song. By the time you hit To Flagship you'll grasp how incredible this album is.

Album's like this shouldn't be passed up by any means. This is a band that is worth the support because it's difficult to come across such beautifully dark music like this. Give it shot. Beginning to end, this is a breathtaking album.

if I had not heard THE HUMAN ABSTRACT yet then I assume I probably would have fallen in love with this album.
the two bands that are the most technical (and popular) in this genre are BTBAM and HUMAN ABSTRACT.
the only way I can give these guys credence in not ripping off some of THA is that one of their guitarists is old school BTBAM.
I don't know... I am just growing away from stuff that is 80% scream.
don't get me wrong... this is a good album...
if you need a new metalcore fix than get this album.
the music is good and it is way above par for most of the stuff coming out.
it just needs more melodies and less THA rips on the sweeps.

also this vocalist... some singers you can understand their screams... some you cannot... this guy I can only understand 25% of the time when he screams.

if you've got hair hanging into your face and traded in girl's jeans for big ear plugs you'll love this album

I couldn't wait for this cd and I was actually worried that I had too high of expectations. However, this cd didn't disappoint at all. What this band exceeds at is their originality. A lot of bands have been riding the coat tails of previous bands (ie: destroy the runner = As I lay dying) but this band manages to have their own uniqueness and have a lot of aspects to songs that are different than others.

The guitar work is amazing on this cd. Its very technical and the majority of the cd is complex riffs instead of just steady strumming. A lot of the sounds they make and harmonics are unlike any other band and are fresh. The breakdowns are also different. They aren't the standard palm muted open drop D. break downs. They are much more complex and add a new flair to the tunes. There is also some sweeping on the cd that has a great effect that makes it sound amazing.

The drummer on this cd is quite good. He is one of the few who are able to be offbeat on purpose and help the music (ie norma jean and underoath). He's got a lot of talent and drives this band a lot as opposed to be drowned out.

The vocals are flawless in my opinion. Their screamer is a fresh sound who is capable of highs mids and lows. His scream has an intensity that other bands lack and his own style. His lows are also sort of like spencers from underoath (not ridiculously distorted and more a yelling and gut-like scream). One guitarist throws in some clean vocals which are very good and their screamer throws in some talking at times which is oddly enough pretty cool.

This CD is out of control, and even the slower songs are amazing. The songs are all good in their own way. The best songs are the first 4 songs definitely and his name was bishop.

Go pick up this record, its amazing and will not disappoint.

The musical intensity of Symphony In Peril and Norma Jean. The harsh screaming vocals like that of Underoath. When you combine the two, it seems it's safe to say that Solid State Records' newcomers Oh, Sleeper and their debut album, When I Am God, will be hard for any hardcore lover to pass up.


Whether it's the loud and crunchy guitars in "I Will Become The Reaping," the technical drums with plenty of double bass in "To Flagship," or the throat-shredding screams in "Building The Nations," When I Am God is full of all the aspects of hardcore. Oh, Sleeper even pulls a page out of Demon Hunter's book, slowing it down a bit halfway through the album in "The Color Theft." And if you're one to never stray from the hardcore scene, you can rest assured that at about the halfway point of the song, it picks up and redeems itself with more of the loud stuff you came for.


Lyrically, this project focuses on humanity. In "Vices Like Vipers," vocalist Micah Kinard screams, "Why do we keep what holds us? Why do I keep what holds me down?." They're simple lyrics with deep meaning. This song also reveals the meaning of the album title, which might cause some confusion at first. "When I am God this church is unsound" is all about how life and the body of Christ is torn apart when everyone tries to be the most important thing in life, and not let God be God. A theme of God's mercy is present in "Charlatan's Host," when Kinard says "Oh, Forgiver! Where is justice in letting me live?" But through all the thoughts of failure and aching for God, the knowledge of His provision is existant as well. "We Are The Archers" talks of God being in control and always there for us, though sometimes we have no idea what exactly He is doing, "The Captain, what will He send? I know He will send, but what will be sent?"


There aren't a lot of flaws on the album. However, the songs seem to lack a sort of rhythm in the vocals. While it's not quite like the chaos of The Chariot, there are times when it seems like Kinard is trying to take one line and elongate it through the music to fill more time. But other than that, there's really not much to find fault with. I'll be looking forward to seeing what these guys do next.

Awesome album musiclly! For me the lyrical content leaves a little to be desired. I am not usually a fan of christian anything, but christian metal is taking a step in the right direction... Less preaching, more rocking. This band sounds very similar to new Norma Jean. A little off-beat, with different time signatures. Very decent stuff, in this case Jesus has my blessing.

these guys are amazing. this is the best ep from any band i've ever heard. their full length comes out oct. 23 2007..... i cannot wait! it is going to be awesome.

it wasn't very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff when it came to mid 1990's britpop. for every stinker like menswe@r and the bluetones, you had pulp's cleverness, blur's gleeful laddism, suede's dark cynicism, supergrass' goofiness (although they've since proven themselves among the finest musicians ever), and elastica's rawness. and then there was sleeper.

sleeper didn't really fit the within the confines of traditional britpop. first of all, sleeper was one of the few female-fronted bands (along with elastica, echobelly, and catatonia) to actually make a name for themselves. what's more, damon albarn wasn't dating justine from elastica, and louise wener (while certainly not bad looking in the least) lacked sonya aurora maden's overt sexuality and feminist stance. maybe that's why sleeper never quite reached the same heights as their britpop peers.

it's a shame, really, because sleeper's second album, 'the it girl,' is one of the finest britpop albums--right up there with 'parklife,' 'urban hymns, 'dog man star,' and 'different class.' what sleeper *did* have going for them were incredibly good, catchy, melodic songs. 'the it girl' built on the success of their first single, 'inbetweener,' and the result was one of the most consistently gratifying albums of the era. stephen street (uber-britpop producer) should be given credit for harnessing louise wener's and andy mcclure's considerable writing talents. however, although mcclure was undoubtedly indispensable, it's clear 'the it girl' is louis wener's show. her narratives on 'the it girl,' are compelling and biting, revealing a woman coming to terms with loser boyfriends ('nice guy eddie'), uncertainty ('what do i do now?'), lost love and betrayal ('sale the century'). no, louise wener did have the greatest of voices, but her voice serves the songs well and she certainly can carry a nice melody. ultimately, 'the it girl,' is an album full of immediately memorable songs by a band, i fear, lost in the ashes of the britpop meltdown. it's a shame because i absolutely adore this album. it didn't leave my cd player for the better part of 1997. whenever i listen to it i have nothing but great memories of what it was like to be smack dab in the middle of the britpop explosion. it was the best summer of my life and this was my soundtrack.

thanks, louise.

For all we know Louise Wener might be married and have lots and lots of kids now . What we do know for sure though is that after 1997's " Pleased To Meet You " she didn't try to write music ever again . Never was a solo project announced nor did their company ever imply that there was a new Sleeper album in the works . The Britpop era was over and there didn't seem to be any room left for them to breathe as artists and keep creating .

Even if you were though one of the half million people who bought " The It Girl " back in 1995 you can't help but admitting that Sleeper were a band with more high I.Q than talent in melody . Still , it's obvious that this was the best of their three offerings and one of the coolest british releases of that time . From the delicious female cynism of " Nice Guy Eddie " ( " Yes I knew that you wanted me " ) to the honest lust and love of " Sale Of The Century " ( " Was it when i said i wanted to have children ? " ) , the lyrics have such a strong personallity of their own and the album's good points don't stop here . " Statuesque " is as catchy as they get while " Stop Your Crying " , even though it's quitte different from a typical Sleeper song , has that positive vibe that's hard to resist . Even the lo-fi ballad of " Click Off Gone " has a moody quality that makes it stand out .

Overall The It Girl is a good pop record which never manages though to be anything truly gripping or eartshattering . Still , for me they were a guilty pleasure of some sort : a female fronted band with a singer who couldn't sing and a monsterlike confidence which you could never understand where it came from .

Though Sleeper's fine debut, Smart, was an instant classic, The It Girl does it one better. Better songs, better vocals, better variety, it's all here. And you gotta love the cheeky title.

This CD was a pleasant surprise to my collection. I originally bought it for the Nice Guy Eddie song. But found just about every song to move with a nice rhythm. The only problem with the CD is that the band reminds me of Elastica too much.

This is one of the best CDs I got. Nothin better. If you like English UK kinda stuff or Garbage or Elastica or Republica this is even better. Check out their first CD for some rougher, but high quality stuff. Their third CD has quality, but not with the feel of the first one or the emotion of the second. Pick this one up if you like it buy all the rest.

If you liked Jules and the Polar Bears, you'll like this recording. If you liked Watch Dog, you'll like this recording. Power pop with a touch of funk, and lots of guitar, and of course the voice of Jules. Shear's writing is very strong too; at times, it is as strong as anything he's written ("I Tried To Please Her" and "I Wake Up Loving You").

It's amazing that this record didn't become more well known than it did when it came out in 1988. It's hard to think of a more finely crafted, radio friendly rock record. Jules Shear's song writing is impeccable, the songs are simple, yet his use of tension and release within the songs, and his lyrical gift, makes them seem more than they are, and keeps them interesting throughout. Jimmy Vivinno's guitar playing, his use of tonal color, and his spare, tasteful leads perfectly accentuate the songs, these are some great guitar arrangements. This band really played together as a unit, creating music that I think has remained vital after all these years.

Seize the opportunity; this is too good an album to complaisantly watch sink into obscurity. Sleeper's first album was called Smart, and that pretty much sums up their ethic; if you're smart, you don't need a lot of fancy musical ornamentation, zithers and Mellotrons, just a guitar and a breathy voice expressive of worldly disaffection. Pleased to Meet You, in particular, is one of the most satisfying albums I've ever heard because of the way the saucy lead singer with a yawn-inducing frankness about sex -- wouldn't a little frigidity be more original these days? -- suddenly becomes very convincingly philosophical, and yet more tuneful than ever.

I don't know if Sleeper really have disintegrated or not, but I sure hope so. This is the perfect elegy for them, and for the glorious British music scene of the mid-90's ( no I'm not being sarcastic; go listen to your Alanis and leave me alone. )

As a huge sleeper fan,I anxiously awaited the follow up to their brilliant album "The It Girl."When I read that the new album was a flop and was not even being released in the U.S.,I was determined to buy the record (as Import) and decide for myself.After all ,most rock critics are total losers and love to slag this band for whatever reason.When the record arrived I put it on and within about 5 seconds of the opening track "Please,Please,Please"I knew my faith in the band was well placed.I feel this is the best Sleeper record to date.Fans of bands like Blur and Elastica would probably like this.Standout tracks "Traffic Accident","Rollercoaster"and "Firecracker" are Sleeper at their absolute best.

Just when I thought SMART couldn't be beat, THE IT GIRL was released. An indelibly grand album, it posed a threat to Sleeper. Would they snap under the weight? Nope. PLEASED TO MEET YOU not only exceeds both previous albums, it smooshes them into the ground. The sparse keyboard-driven "Motorway Man" resonates long after it's over, "You Got Me" boasts an unbeatable "ooh-ooh-ooh" chorus, "Rollercoaster" has a snappy moog that sounds like it was lifted from a Stereolab record and the closing rave-up "Traffic Accident" ponders on about someone "in a white hall room who's popping prostitutes". Lyrically and musically, PLEASED TO MEET YOU proves that the British Press are idiots for slagging this brilliant band. I hope this record is released in America soon. It's been out in Britain for a year now.

Contrary to information listed above, Sleeper is indeed together and have not split up. Although there's not a smash like "Statuesque" from 'The It Girl' or "Inbetweener" from 'Smart', it's still a great album. Standouts include "Because of You", "You Got Me", and "Rollercoaster".

Though in retrospect they might not have lived up to that label as well as Echobelly did, Sleeper's debut still has a ton to love.

Though most attention will go to Louise Werner, who's sexy voice and sassy attitude carry a lot of the songs here, the backing music carry it even further, proving Sleeper is more than just an interesting and controversial frontwoman.

Fans who miss 80's new wave pop will need to have this.

This came out in 1995, the year of Britpop, and was the most representative of the trend for female-led guitar bands featuring charismatic frontwomen and anonymous musicians (the NME dubbed them 'Sleeperblokes'). Oddly, they reminded nobody of Transvision Vamp at the time, but then again this was a period in which Menswear were almost taken seriously.

The band were led by Louise Wener, famously 'the most elegible Jewish woman' according to some magazine or other, and she had a big enough bag of controversial quotes (none of which I can remember) to be interviewed cosntantly by the music press. They survived for three albums in this way before splitting up (i.e. Louise sacked the band) due to Wener's shocking jaw-wobbling in the video for 'Romeo Me', three years later.

As for the music? Fairly good, spiky guitar-led pop that, although painfully 1995, is still very catchy and fun.

This is the first time I've had a cd, where all the tracks are great. I strongly recommend this cd to most anyone. It has a fun, frisky sound and the beats are truly catchy. Get it. It's great!!!!!!!