The lowdown on Team Sleep’s version of musical experimentation from Chino Moreno, otherwise known as the frontman of Deftones, began as rough tape exchanges that somehow morphed into a five-member band. At its end, the tracks are altogether addicting. Tougher than beautiful, these melancholy sounds (whose tunes only sometimes prove initially elusive) define the modern day Americana version of heavy, hypnotic melodies, interchangeably offset and smothered by rich guitar and piano swathes.
Moreno tries on intense vocals and smokestacks of sounds that assimilate into something outstandingly eclectic. Tracks like “King Diamond” offer the sweet beat of techno simulation, while the Delorian previews electric guitar in tune with perfection, sans Moreno’s vocal performance. Such an esoteric mix of electro dips layered with guitar swells, background percussions, deliberate beat breaks that sound for themselves and plucky, pungent vocals somehow add up to even a maudlin rendition of standardized tests (“Princeton Review”-an accomplishment that either brandishes this band’s particular genius, or proves an irreversible case of the blues).”Ataraxia” appropriately heads this deluge of unexpected compilations, sampling everything in between by the first track.
After days of repeat, these songs surely spill into your soul, tearing through your subconscious exactly as you do through its lurid landscape. For this thorny feat as accomplished by every track: bravo to the best Sleep ever.
Reshma Kirpalani can be contacted at r.kirpalani@umiami.edu.