Photographer Ella Dreyfus once said, “Essentially, we are all fascinated by other people… [but] life moves at such a rapid pace that we don’t pause for very long to really look at them as much as we would like to.”
Well clear out you’re next 37 minutes to gander at Brisbane five-piece Art of Sleeping’s debut album Shake Shiver: an album that is both a figurative feast and an incredibly convoluted PDA.
Beginning with Win Your Heart, we are introduced to the initial interaction between the narrator and the subject of his affection, which appears to be borderline obsession. First single Crazy is a self-evaluation mixed with a plea for reciprocation, with bombastic percussion and brooding guitars that sound at war.
Bleeding into the next track Jefferson, the opening wails of “If only I could let it go” see the grappling with the feelings at present, while I Could Make You Happy see’s him pleading with the indifferent subject in the midst of a reverberating guitar lines and ascending synthesised tones.
Bleeding Out is just a pure punch-on between himself and his own mind, masked by a more upbeat instrumental arrangement, while the slow, bare opening of I’m Not The One soon blasts as a pure percussive delight and see’s a further lyrical analysis of the narrator’s value in the eyes of the subject.
Then comes the real gem in this album. As the melodic acoustic guitar trickles out, seventh track Burning Bright has an understated build-up that reflects the desperation of the person as he questions, “Why are you so far away when you’re right there in my bed?”
Sailing through the fuzz-tinged guitar-lead If Only You Could Ease My Mind, and the second, slightly menacing, single Voodoo, we find ourselves back where we started.
The Cage is a tumultuous instrumentation of percussion and lofty backing vocals, with the realisation that despite the perplexing commotion we’ve just waded through, we’re still as lost as ever.
There is truth to the notion that others of our species enthral us, but mostly we look to them for affirmation within our own lives. This album is a clear snapshot of the mental beatings you can take when it comes to love, and with it’s raw and relatable lyrical nature, lofty indie-rock vibes and powerful compositions; it assures, at least for a moment, that these emotions are not so individual after all.
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‘Shake Shiver’ is out July 17, 2015 Via Dew Process/Universal Music Australia and you can catch Art Of Sleeping live, at the Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road shows.
Art of Sleeping – Crazy
