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Track Listings
| 1. Drunk on Aluminium (04:02) |
| 2. Archaeologist (03:37) |
| 3. Dead Letter & The Infinite Yes (04:08) |
| 4. Weighty Ghost (03:39) |
| 5. Murderer (04:23) |
| 6. Search Party (04:12) |
| 7. Astronaut (02:18) |
| 8. Oblivion (02:58) |
| 9. Laser Beams (04:17) |
| 10. Miasmal Smoke & the Yellow Bellied Freaks (08:09) |
| 11. The Kids are Ultra-Violent [Bonus Track](03:34) |
| 12. Early in the Morning [Bonus Track](04:31) |
Product Description
Review
Another new year and lo and behold, another hotly tipped, slightly quirky Canadian indie band hoping to emulate the success of critically-worshipped compatriots Arcade Fire. In 2009, it's Halifax, Nova Scotia residents Wintersleep who aim to deliver where others like The Acorn have failed, but unfortunately Welcome To The Night Sky is no Funeral or Neon Bible.
Released in their homeland back in 2007 and helping the group win Canada's prestigious Juno Awards Best New Group of 2008, Wintersleep's third album is by no means a bad record, but it is crying out for an identity of its own to lift it above the merely proficient.
Shifting uneasily between an REM-lite folk-pop jangle, Mars Volta-style epic noodling and quintessentially North American country-rock, the six piece struggle to settle on a distinctive sound, and the song writing just isn't strong enough to overcome a general lack of originality and direction.
Wintersleep's case isn't helped by front man Paul Murphy's weak, reedy vocals, which hover blandly over proceedings throughout. Musically, they're certainly accomplished, notably on opener Drunk On Aluminium's well-constructed quiet/loud dynamics, while Dead Letter and The Infinite Yes wouldn't sound out of place on Counting Crows greatest hits compilation.
But it's only on one track - the catchy campfire spiritual Weighty Ghost - that Wintersleep manage to cast off their many influences and sound truly like themselves. Elsewhere, Welcome To The Night Sky is always listenable, but eminently forgettable. The title of the final track proper, Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks, is sadly much more interesting than the composition itself, and two UK bonus tracks - Ultra Violet and How You Gonna Lie - bring little new to the party. --Chris White
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous guitar-based album,
By
This review is from: Welcome to the Night Sky (Audio CD)
I happened upon this album by first reading about them in the Sunday Times Culture section whose glowing recommendation of the second track on this album 'Archaeologists' inspired me to check them out on MySpace.The aforementioned track is indeed very special, but it's the album as a whole which commands the attention of the listener. I particularly love albums which are a collection of coherent songs rather than a bunch of singles mixed with fillers. The 10-million dollar question is of course 'So what do they sound like?'. Well, the band being Canadian, there's a blend of Arcade Fire, REM & Interpol in some of the tracks but Wintersleep's sound is much more than a watered-down clone of other (better known) bands. In particular, many of the tracks are near-anthemic. Weighty Ghost in particular is a wonderful track which you'll find yourself singing along to - there are some great harmonies on this track too! 'Murderer' begins in an art-rock mould, not dissimilar to say, Bloc Party. But then, just when you think you've hit on who Wintersleep sound like, they go and change it all with 'Search Party' which wouldn't be out of place on a Meg Ryan movie. 'Astronaut' definitely has a Document-era R.E.M. sound about it but things then move on with the sublime 'Oblivion' which wouldn't sound out of place on Interpol's debut. Of course, there are many highlights herein. Welcome to the Night Sky...
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent stuff,
By
This review is from: Welcome to the Night Sky (Audio CD)
This is an excellent album. Memorable tunes, beautiful jangly guitars, superb vocals, and clever, if at times naive, lyrics. Perfect, you'd think - so why four, rather than five stars?It's because Wintersleep don't yet sound quite like themselves. They're a hotch-potch of their influences - Snow Patrol, Interpol; Astronaut is so like mid-period REM, it could be an outtake. Yet the songs, in themselves, are great. Drunk on Aluminium, Weighty Ghost, Oblivion - all superb. My particular favourite is the touchingly adolescent Dead Letter and the Infinite Yes. But there really isn't a duff track on the whole album. I saw them live last year, and they were good enough for me to buy Welcome to the Night Sky. Now, having got to know it really well, I'm convinced that there's a genuine 5-star album just waiting to be made - an album that sounds like Wintersleep, and nobody else.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wintersleep latest CD,
By
This review is from: Welcome to the Night Sky (Audio CD)
I saw them as support to the Editors and was immediately struck by the diverse nature of their music. Driving bass lines with some excellent lead guitar work building to a crescendo...and thats the recipe used for most of the tracks. Very enjoyable CD teasing you to look out their back catalogue.
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