On September 13th, 2019, the Chicago based pop-punk group Sleep On It released their second full length album. After over 2 months of hype, fans were excited, and were anticipating an amazing record due to the three impressive singles released prior. The band did not disappoint, and have released what I believe to not only be the highlight of their career thus far, but also an album of the year. It has many strong points and shows a real growth of not only their sound as a band, but also their talent since their first record!
Track One: “Racing Towards a Red Light”
This song is very true to the band’s previous work, but still shows a real growth in their sound. The vocals have some more edge to them, thanks to the talent of frontman Zech Pluister. They’re a step up from the safe and clean vocals of their first album. The driving guitar paired with the clean vocals makes for a strong track. It is one of my personal favorites off of the album, and I hope they play it live, as it’s a very energetic and engaging track. I also think the lyrics in this track are some of my favorites off the album. I specifically connected to, ”All of my hearts wrapped up/In the hurricane/That’s raging in my head,” and I think it’s a very simple yet powerful metaphor. I think this is a great lead track to the album and a true highlight of their career.
Track Two: “Hold Your Breath”
As said by the band when the song was released, the song is meant to entrap the feeling of a live Sleep On It show. I have attended many of their shows, and I can definitely say that this song lives up to the claims. I think that the easy-to-learn (but still meaningful) lyrics with the heavy guitar tracking in the background definitely makes for a song full of light hearted energy. The faster paced delivery of the lyrics felt almost like a conversation between Pluister and Teddy Horansky, and it’s not really something we’ve heard from the band before. One of my personal favorite parts of the song is the bass riff before they jump into the first chorus, as well as the guitars in the very beginning of the song.
Track Three: “Babe Ruth”
This song has a very nostalgic and sentimental feel to me. “Growing up but never growing old, we’ll stay/Forever a runaway,” and ”I can now remember every flame/We burned when we were young,” are lyrics that drive home the theme of growing old but remembering fond memories from years that have passed. This song is one of the ones that reminds me most of their early music, with their simple guitar and clean and safe vocal delivery. In my opinion, their bass lines are often swallowed in the heavy guitar that they bring to the spotlight, so it was nice to actually hear the thumpy bass-line in the first pre-chorus. The guitar solo on the bridge was impressive, and I honestly wish it were longer. The song was more on the basic side for me but I think the bridge and beyond was the strong part of the song.
Track Four: “Under the Moment”
This song is probably my favorite off the album. It was the first single that the band released in preparation for the full album release, and I think it’s the song that showcases their growth and change from the first album the most. The vocals, coming from both Pluister and Horansky, are strong and loud and powerful, and the talent of all members is showcased. The lyrics are raw and vulnerable, and the slower paced, more poetic pre-chorus leading into the powerful and edgier chorus is a nice transition. The slow guitar and beat in the bridge, again, in contrast to the harder chorus was nice. I think that the group used their ability to both slow things down and to put some edge into their songs very well on this track, showcasing their true talent. Zech opened up about the lyric writing process, saying he was going through a very rough time and wanted to basically thank and recognize those who helped pull him out from the darkness he felt.
Track Five: “Fix the Dark”
This song is very reminiscent of the band’s early work. However, the heavy guitar delivered by Jake Marquis and Teddy Horansky in the beginning is very different and not really anything we had previously heard from the group. I didn’t really enjoy the way the instrumentals kind of fade off every time Zech finishes a line of lyrics, backed only by drummer Luka Fischman’s beats, and then the next few lines are backed by a steady guitar beat, as it felt kind of clunky. The instrumentals themselves aren’t bad, I just wish they had remained more consistent as it felt slightly unorganized. However, I was pleased and surprised with the sudden key change at the end; it isn’t something the band does often and I think that it was a nice change!
Track Six: “After Tonight”
This song is a very upbeat and feel-good song and is one of my favorite’s off of the album. The lyrics are happy and easy to remember, and overall I think the song is an extremely catchy bop. The drum beat with the simple guitar rift paired with the chorus of voices singing ”Tell me what you’re after,” at the beginning and at the end of every chorus makes it feel like a very inclusive song. It makes you want to grab the people closest to you and hug them while you scream the lyrics. I think Zech’s vocal riff right before the bridge was strong, and the focus on the chorus of voices that are repeating various lyrics from the bridge with his voice acting more as a background voice added some simple yet nice contrast the the already strong track. Overall, this upbeat and energetic track was another strongpoint of the album and I think really showcased their shift in sound.
Track Seven: “Take Me Back”
This was another track that reminded me of their early work. The simple guitar track with the riffs overtop paired with the simple vocals made for a more basic and simple track. However, the chorus surprised me. The sudden outburst-like delivery of ”Take me back to pride and disaster/Sunshine and laughter,” was surprising and not something I would have expected from them. However, that was the only thing I really felt was different about the track. The song is a classic showcase of what Sleep On It strives for in their sound and message. I did enjoy the way that Jake, Zech, and Teddy bounced around lines in the bridge, however. The overall feel of the song is basic yet evokes a nostalgic and hopeful feel. I think that they could have spiced it up a little more but it’s not a bad track.
Track Eight: “The Cycle of Always Leaving”
Another driving and powerful track, this song’s lone guitar riffs in the beginning and continuing through the first verse is a nice change up from the usual heavier guitar sounds (which we do get a taste of on the chorus. The lyrics in this one didn’t really stand out to me, as they felt more lackluster compared to the rest of the album. It felt like a story being told, and unfortunately, they could not fit the story they wanted to tell in 3 minutes. That doesn’t mean the lyrics were poor, I just felt like there was something missing and that we were almost missing out on a piece of a story. The vocals were safe, yet there was still that newer edge in the chorus that I particularly have been enjoying this album. You can tell Pluister is much more confident and experimental with his vocal abilities and it’s nice to see him start to show the audience new sides to his personal sound. That being said, this was not one of my favorites off of the album, but I think my favorite part was definitely the instrumentals.
Track Nine: “Logan Square”
As someone who comes from Chicago, this song holds a special place in my heart as it is an homage to the famous city. It’s a personal love song to where all four members grew up, and I think that it is a beautiful nod to the place I call home. They talk about walking through the city late at night just enjoying the atmosphere, how the summers are gorgeous but they turn cold too soon. “The leaves started changing/And I finally feel whole again,” is a line I relate to. The fall in Illinois is one of my favorite things and it’s what I look forward to most every year. I would usually say that the vocals and instrumentals are pretty basic and surface level, but with a track that’s dedicated to their hometown, I think it works better than a complicated guitar riff or a tricky vocal run. I think it’s a simple, catchy track that will surely be a treat and a sentimental experience for hometown fans of the band.
Track Ten: “Lost & Found”
The final track on this album is probably tied for my favorite. The simple and lone guitar track in the intro is clean and instantly brings forward an almost somber and wistful emotion. The vocals are strong and vibrant, and the rolling drumbeat paired with the guitar tracking makes for a very powerful first verse. The chorus hits differently than the rest of the song, and is a very driving and powerful and almost triumphant. The lyrics are very well thought out and very well said, in particular I appreciated, “I’m trying my best to show that I can shine through/All the darkness I seem to keep falling back into.” Those lyrics brought me to tears the first time I really heard and understood it, and I think it truly showcases the groups songwriting talent. The instrumental at the ending was very simple and quiet, being just a quick piano snippet with some simple guitar plucking overlay, paired with a chorus of voices. Overall, this track was strong in every way I deem possible, and I truly think that it is a true testament to how talented and lovely the band is.
The boys in Sleep On It absolutely killed this album. It is a strong pop-punk album in every way it can be. While some songs lacked the maturity that most of the other tracks carried, I think this album really showcased the step up in the group’s music. The tracks still hold the classic Sleep On It sound, while adding a new edge to it. The vocals are much more out there (in an amazing way) and I think Zech really hit the ball out of the park doing so. The guitars were much more heavy and I heard a lot of differences within the songs. My only problem with their previous album, Overexposed, was that most of the songs sounded the same. I was pleased to discover that every song on Pride & Disaster has a different sound than that of the song before it. The variation and experimentation that went into this album makes it probably one of the strongest albums of the year. I think that this is a true step up for the boys and I am very, very proud of how far they have come.
Please stream Pride & Disaster when you have the chance, you will not regret it.
