Posted on: January 15, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Sleeper Car – Love & Anxiety / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.sleepercarband.com /

“Lay It Down” is the first track on Sleeper Car’s “Love & Anxiety”m, and the use of strings during this track imbues the track with a folksy sound not far removed with that put out by a Banhart. However, Sleeper Car takes a different tack during “I Won’t Break Down”. During this track, the band unites the aforementioned folk style with an early country / bluegrass hybrd that, when all parts are taken together, result in a very current and contemporary sound. The second track on the disc is “I Won’t Break Down” and it gives the spotlight to the instrumentation. Where it was a strong but not central part of “Lay It Down”, the renewed focus on the instrumentation during “I Won’t Break Down” shows that all parts of Sleeper Car are equally strong. By keeping all of the tracks on “Love & Anxiety” within the three to four minute length, the band is able to inculcate listeners into the full gamut of sounds and genres available to Sleeper Car.

The shorter track lengths makes for stronger tracks, as “Anti Climactic Girl” could have been turned from the strongest track on the disc into a mess with the inclusion of only a minute more of music. The intense focus that this twangy, looking-back band is why they will be named alongside acts like Lucero and the Avett Brothers in the months to come. The six tracks on this EP constitute slightly over twenty minutes of music, ensuring that listeners will be clamoring for more just as soon as “Follow” closes up shop. The linkage of a softly-sang set of vocals with the strings and traditional arrangements of Sleeper Car are one of the distinguishing factors for the band. I know that I will be looking forward to hearing more of them in the months to come.

Top Track: Anti Climactic Girl

Rating: 8.0/10

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