Originally conceived as a solo project consigned to Danish musician Brian Batz bedroom and laptop, Sleep Party People have since evolved. Now a five piece (who all wear Bunny masks whilst playing live, allegedly to combat onstage shyness) who bring layers of depth and gorgeous instrumentation to Batz’s dreamy post-pop excursions, the band received critical acclaim from the Danish Music press for their self-titled 2010 album which drew comparisons to Sigur Rós at their most accessible and the woozy psychedelia of The Flaming Lips.
‘We Were Drifting on a Sad Song’ the band’s new album opens with the piano lullaby of ‘A Dark God Heart’ its sombre melody worthy of Perfume Genius in terms of emotional simplicity. It’s also the first time those much talked about vocals chime in, a choir of voices digitally harmonised, the pitch played around with until Sleep Party People resemble a warped, Walt Disney mouse choir.
It gives ‘We were Drifting…” its sense of originality and experimentation within the realms of the skewed, haze of the nine songs on offer. ‘A Dark God Heart’ builds to a post rock collision of orchestra and glorious noise, a natural progression from its sparse beginnings. For listeners who appreciate ambition being as important as melody it’s a perfect opener.
Not to say that Sleep Party people are a one trick pony content to revisit the same formula of building huge, spacey cinematic landscapes overlaid with the Jónsi -esque sounds-as-language of the soothing, high pitched vocals. Tracks like the drum machine led breezy pop of ’Chin’ is a mix of Toro Y Moi glitch and Wayne Coyne inventiveness whilst the M83 synths of the title track show a more celebratory side of a band that could wrongfully be seen, by some, as Shoe-gazing introverts, content to hide away in the comfort blankets of laptop screens and tiny recording studios.
Sleep Party People really hit their stride on tracks like the rhythmic march and cooing vocals of ‘Things Will Disappear Like Tears In The Rain’ and ‘Gazing at the Moon’, which mixes a sounda-alike falsetto of the Antlers Pete Silberman and that bands knack for chill inducing tenderness and sensitive glow (it’s no surprise that SPP are former tourmates of the New York indie rockers). Both tracks forming some of the albums (Many) highlights.
Finding “We were drifting..,’ is the musical equivalent of stumbling across a long lost children’s book. Both alive with a dream like fantasy and charm and leaving enough of an impression to keep returning for more undiscovered beauty.
