Love, longing and disconnection are themes that have been written about since the dawn of time. Yet often it sounds feeble, fake and downright nauseating.
Considering this, the debut album from Melbourne four-piece Sleep Decade is not only surprising, but refreshing.
If you immerse yourself in this LP, you should expect the heart strings to get a good tugging.
The intimacy of lead singer Casey Harnett’s vocals, coupled with subtle atmospherics allows for more attention to be paid to the storytelling at hand.
Deservedly it’s the sincere songwriting on Into Spinning Lights that is thrown into the spotlight as it’s arguably the album’s best feature.
While the pop immediacy of ‘Mexico’ might sound like a genuinely endearing love dedication, the undertones of passivity are discovered when Harnett sings “we don’t have to be in love/ just as long as you’re happy”.
Contemplative and affecting, Sleep Decade have the ability to fill the soul with something sweet – like on ‘Bicycle’ – but usually, they aim for tearing it apart as heard with the despondent heartbreak on ‘Colour’.
While Into Spinning Lights demonstrates the fine attention to detail of the quintet, and their producer Nick Higgins, the delicacy of the album will be inconspicuous to many.
But for those willing to invest the hours, they’ll realise that this debut is definitely worth paying attention to.
