Sleeping At Last - Storyboards

I've been quite overdue for post here, considering the albums that have been released since my last entry...



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

The Mars Volta - 'Octahedron'

Releasing their 5th studio album, The Mars Volta is taking on their version of an "acoustic" record. Don't be fooled. While 'Octahedron' is much more accessible than prior albums, it still remains miles away from what we would expect an acoustic album to sound like..

This should not come as anything unexpected for followers of such a progressive group. However, after listening to the latest album from TMV for the first time, I was on the edge of my seat as I waited and waited for the first track to hit. After a long period of silence, I was surprised to hear the sound of an acoustic guitar accompanying Bixler-Zavala. Yet my surprise by the unusual opening track was overcome by the captivating aura of "Since We've Been Wrong." I may be partial to this track, due to my love for the entire genre of "post-rock" - which is based on the design of 'slowly building over several minutes, until a climax is reached near the five minute mark.' And it is within the first song that I noticed some 'post rock' influence. Once can't help but think of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to heaven' upon listening to the opening song as well - we hear an acoustic guitar climb up and down, electric guitars creating the melody in the background, soft and meaningful vocals dancing throughout the song, and finally a crescendo with the full array of instruments (minus a lengthy guitar solo).

After the seven minute opener, TMV returns to a style which is familiar to many of us in "Teflon," as they cut Pridgen loose in the first seconds of the track. "Cotopaxi" and "Desperate Graves" also stand out as familiar and comfortable tracks for those of us who love the fast/harder tracks that we've seen over the years. Throughout the album we see a back and forth or up and down sense of cohesion between the tracks. There are more ballads in Octahedron than we saw in The Bedlam in Goliath, creating a much more balanced album. I see their prior album (The Bedlam in Goliath) as a much more experimental piece, as Omar said in one interview the theme or inspiration of the album came from an "Ouija" board - which provided him with visions and visits from spirits in the following nights, providing him with lyrics and ideas for their new album. And I also see this album as an introduction to Thomas Pridgen, the bands newly acquired drummer for The Bedlam in Goliath - allowing him to impress us and leave us with a sense of amazement by his technical abilities. And after listening to the speed and quality of his drumming throughout the album, I was instantly impressed. As the band moves forward toward Octahedron, the group returns to create songs which are more vocally centered, yet we still hear the quality drumming in the back - just a more subdued and consistent version.

There will be listeners who will criticize the band for releasing an album with such an 'accessible' track as "Since We've Been Wrong," and there will also be lifetime fans who love it. Regardless your taste - the quality of the album cannot be denied. The one constant that The Mars Volta continues with in this album is that it is different and unlike anything else they've done. Different from the last album. Different for them in general. Even though Octahedron is shorter than prior releases, and may seem to have been put out very fast (which it was), don't let these factors force you to listen with biased ears - because this album, like every other, is amazing in its own way. One should not listen to anything created by The Mars Volta the same way you listen to anything else, and for that fact, hold them to the same standards. There is talent and creativity that exists within these guys that I have not seen anywhere else. Octahedron appears to be a step towards the style of prior albums, so if you're not a fan of this one, I'm thinking you won't need to wait long for the next album - which will most likely be nothing like this one.

8.5/10