Don't Sleep On This One

New York's The Sleeping have always been a band that I've liked, but never a band that I've loved. I've always thought that they were a cool band anchored by Doug Robinson's unique, desperate yelp , tight drums and intricate guitar licks. Hey, they were better than most of the swill Victory Records kicks out month after month. Their last album, Questions & Answers, was a catchy, borderline forgettable slice of post-something-core that ended up on a video game soundtrack and got the band on a Warped Tour and earned them a headlining run with I Am the Avalanche and A Day to Remember (that's right kids, I saw A Day to Remember open for the Sleeping. I must be old.) and moderate national recognition. There were a few strong tracks on that album, most noticably "Don't Hold Back", "Loud & Clear" and their tribute to fallen Bayside drummer John Holohan, "Heart Beatz". Questions & Answers was good enough for me to buy and file for future reference. However, after a few members changes and couple years, I wasn't sure I still cared when I heard about What It Takes, their new album that found its' way onto store shelves on February 17. Well, I was already at the record store that day (new Thursday/new Morrissey) and I had some extra change, so I figured why not, I'll grab the new Sleeping and give it a spin. This ended up being the best impulse purchase I have made in a long time. What It Takes absolutely explodes with passion and energy, right from the guitar intro of "You'll Be A Corpse Before Your Time" and doesn't let up until the closing notes of "Deadbeast", the album's last song. This really is an unbelievable record. Lead single "Bomb the World" is easily the best song the band have ever written, and I would say "He Only Sees Where He Walks", the album's 8th track, takes second place with its' infectious chorus of "Yeah, leave that girl alone". The guitars sound crisper, the organ-esque synths sound absolutely spot on and are a perfect addition to the band's sound and most importantly, Robinson has established himself as part of the upper echelon of emo frontmen. His confident wail is at times Geoff Rickley, at times "Illusion of Safety" era Thrice, but it is always captivating and always infectious. Unlike a lot of the bands you hear walking around Warped Tour and garnering reviews on scene websites, this guy can really, really sing. Robinson and company have truly hit their stride on What It Takes, an album that roars from beginning to end with emo-funk intensity and melodic bombast. This is one of the few 10 out of 10 albums to surface so far this year so do yourself a favor and head to the store and pick this up. It's the best $13 you'll spend for a while.