There are very few artists today that captivate me the way that Sleeping at Last does, lyrically they are unparalleled. However, it is upon combining these bold lyrics with vocals that are just as daring, raw, and uncut that allows for a sound as emotional as found in Storyboards. I listened to this album on repeat for the duration of my day at work, trying to absorb the full
effect. I found myself overwhelmed numerous times, and brought to the brink of tears each time "Naive" came back around. The simplicity of a piano, soft woodwinds and vocals pulled me in more than other tracks with a full orchestra accompanying the duo. Once again, the honest vocals of Ryan O'Neal have overwhelmed me with a sense of innocence and helplessness, it's as if he is revealing his darkest secrets to me, intentionally leaving himself absolutely vulnerable with the line; "God knows I've been naive, but I think it makes him proud of me."Just as tracks like "Naive" encourage tears, the album balances itself when we reach "Clockwork" and the lighthearted flutes bouncing around lift us back up, creating a feeling of childhood innocence. The lyrics give us hope with lines like; "and somehow we smell the blossom, through the snow." There are no hidden agendas the lie in the lyrics, the melody of the track is an accurate portrayal of the message delivered - once again the authenticity of Sleeping at Last makes its presence known. If this album had a purpose, it was not to confuse, or require multiple listens to decipher the "hidden meaning" buried within ambiguous lyrics. However, the lyrics written are not simple or without thought. But the genius of each word lies not within the complications caused to listeners, but instead within the ability to summon the emotions we've all felt, but this time from an unlikely source.
Storyboards is a very complete album, finding a balance between sorrow and joy, but sticks to a common theme and sound. The completeness is also found by joining the duo with an orchestra, allowing for an array of sounds without overwhelming us with more than we can handle. Each track has a prescribed formula, to create a specific mood, and the versatility of Sleeping at Last has impressed me in this album more than ever before. Storyboards is an adventure, one I recommend everyone take at least once.
As I said before, the message delivered by these two is not muddled, and this virtue may also prove to be the thing that prevents wide reception from the masses. Being Christian, many bands will be limited from the start, but depending on their choice of lyrics, great popularity is not out of the question. Attaining popularity is clearly not the ambition of Sleeping at Last, and this should go without saying. Many people will never give this group a chance because their lyrics are openly Christian and the vocals are far from polished. But even if you find yourself on the other side of the fence with this album, there is still room for respect for these guys, respect for true passion. We rarely see musicians create songs and albums that they know has no chance of reaching a spot on the Billboard top 100. And while I've heard countless musicians say "it's about the music," only a handful of them have had a full understanding of what it means, and actually shown it. Storyboards is an example of an album created by musicians with passion for music, which has become a bit of a contradicting statement when applied to popular music.
(and uh, please forgive the random, criticism of pop music tangent at the end there)
9/10
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