Sleeping With Sirens

Rather than continue upon the formula of their debut, Sleeping With Sirens have gone deeper into their sound with Let’s Cheer To This. While it may not be immediately apparent upon playing this album, the band has really become more melodic and mature over the last year, landing themselves some comparisons to Coheed And Cambria and Pmtoday now. While they still have their energy up there, it’s put to better use in the writing and arrangements of each song. The opening track, “Do It Now Remember It Later”, is probably closest to their debut sound, but still sounds more well rounded than before. Kellin’s voice is better than ever this time around, begging the question why more focus hasn’t been turned on him yet (Jonny Craig has some competition from his Rise brethren). Lyrically, Let’s Cheer To This is also still very strong, bringing the listener more than a handful of memorable lines you’ll have burrowed into your head for days to come. There’s really only one problem to be found with this album, in all honesty. The three later tracks – “Tally It Up, Settle The Score”, “Your Nickle Ain’t Worth My Dime” and “Postcards And Polaroids” – don’t really stand out when compared to the rest of the album. It’s not that they’re bad, but they seem to be lacking that kick the other tracks have here. Maybe these were more rushed during the writing stages, but they manage to slow down the momentum of Let’s Cheer To This. Luckily, the final two tracks that follow pick things right back up. As a whole, Sleeping With Sirens have really stepped up their game with Let’s Cheer To This. A high percentage of this album is definitely worth playing over and over again, so make sure to pick up a copy whether you were a fan of their debut or not. — by Nathaniel Lay - Lexington Music Press

Let’s Cheers to This is the second full length album from Florida/Michigan based band Sleeping With Sirens. The album was released on May 5th by Rise Records. It was produced by Kris Crummett, who has produced Dance Gavin Dance, Alesana, Emarosa, In Fear and Faith, The Devil Wears Prada, and others.

Let’s Cheers to This is this first album I’ve listened to from the band and it was a good first impression on their part. I was thoroughly impressed by Kellin Quinn’s vocal ability. If I were to compare it to anyone else I would say that he is a cross between Jonny Craig and Devin Oliver. The control, range, and power Quinn will blow the new listener away and please the fans.

When writing a review for a band I haven’t heard before, I do an extensive amount of research. Without the time to listen to the full discography of an artist, I look up the band biographies, histories, and wiki pages. I did this for Sleeping With Sirens and was surprised to find names like Brian Calzini (We Are Defiance) and Jack Fowler associated with the group. Brian was a founding member of the band and has left. However, Jack was formerly a guitarist for Broadway and has just joined the group. You learn something everyday right? If this isn’t news to you, congratulations, you’re already a fan.

I may be 250 words into this review, but don’t think I’m stalling. Let’s Cheers to This is a really great album, I’m just unsure on how to proceed or where to begin. I suppose track one would be as good of a place as any.

“Do it Now, Remember it Later” starts the album off with some whoa-ohs and a rebellious tirade of lyrical confidence. “Remember when they said that what we want could never be done? When it all comes falling down, we’ll do what we want to.” I think this band really knows what they are doing and are out to prove it.

“If You Can’t Hang” is super catchy and demands attention. Quinn’s significant other seems to have lost her significance. That doesn’t seem to stop him from seeking companionship, however. Unfortunately the same thing happened to him once again. Bummer. The song illustrates infidelity and how beauty sometimes only goes skin deep. I may have found a new break up song.

“Who Are You Now?” is a slower number that showcases some more of Quinn’s vocal abilities. But it’s all about self awareness and how others perceive him. As the title suggests, Quinn is being asked who he is and how he going to respond to the criticism. He isn’t taking it lying down either, he knows that “Sometimes you gotta fall before you fly.”

“Four Corners and Two Sides” YOU! YOU! You’ll like this one. It’s rough and bitter. I think Quinn is confident, not confrontational. I think he knows he can’t be friends with everyone and he needs to keep his guard up. In this industry, I’d say that’s exactly what he should be. Something I really like about this song is the play on a Lennon lyric “They say I’m a sinner. I’m not the only one.” Clever.

“A Trophy Fathers Trophy Son” is a sad story of abandonment. A father left his family. The son is trying to deal with the loss and wonders if his fathers departure could be his fault. When a boy loses a father, he loses his example of what a man should be. I think the title might explain a little bit of fear. Will he be like his father? Will he leave his family? He is sorting that out.

“Fire” is a tough song to read. What I seem to take away from it is that a girl is self destructing and the boy is desperately watching it all burn down. Maybe it’s an addiction she faces, I can’t be sure. Maybe I’m reading this song wrong, but perhaps it’s all up to interpretation. The song is a power ballad and a pretty powerful one, no matter the meaning.

“Tally It Up, Settle the Score”. Kids are fighting. Underage and angry, this is his way of getting his point across. Luckily he has studio quality screams to help him with that. Take that girlfriend!

“Your Nickel Ain’t Worth My Dime”. @bandguyproblems would love this one. This song is all about telling a girl want she wants to hear. When the volume is low, you can here the mutter of a crowd during a set change. Indicating a show is in progress and Quinn is spitting lines to some backstage honey. “I want to write a song about you now.” Nah, he just wants you in the sack. This song makes me chuckle. Quinn, you dog, you…

“Postcards and Polaroids” is a leaving song. The touring life can be exciting and fun, but it is very tough on relationships. I can only imagine how hard it would be to leave my girl for months at a time. The girl doesn’t have it easy either, she is left at home, sleeping alone every night, and wondering if her man is being faithful. Tour is a true trial for musicians.

“All My Heart” is the acoustic break in the album. Quinn’s voice is flawless. Stripping down the instruments really shows how amazing he really is. No auto-tune needed. The song is youthful and romantic.


I’d ask, ‘you think we’d ever make it?’
You’d say, ‘I’m sure if it’s right.’

The song swells into a full instrumental to finish.

“Let’s Cheers to This”. Finishing with the title track, the band demonstrates that they are here to prove what they’ve got.


I’ve Got The Whole
World In Front Of Me
I’m Not Letting Go ‘Til I Say

This Is My Life
I’ve Got It All
Right In Front Of Me
I Won’t Let It Go
There’s No Way

This Is Our Time
Don’t Slip Away
Don’t Slip Away

Let’s Cheers to This really impressed me. The song writing is fantastic, the vocal melodies are amazing, and the musicianship is incredible. I have nothing bad to say about it. I highly suggest buying this record. You won’t be disappointed. Sleeping with Sirens have, no doubt, made a lot more fans than just me with this release. So what are you waiting for? Go buy it now! Don’t wait!

Score: 10/10
Review Written: by Jacob Tender - Under The Gun

Sound: Sleeping With Sirens surely made a splash with their first album, "With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear". Love it or hate it, there's no denying that work was a prime example of post-hardcore musicianship. Since that album, SWS have been through a TON of changes, which surprisingly, were for the better.

The band has opted for less of a straight forward Post-hardcore sound to play around with pop punk and, at times, straight up rock music. Songs like "Who Are You Now" or "Tally It Up, Settle The Score" have such solid rock verses that you wouldn't believe this is a Rise band. The song "If You Can't Hang" is so infectious in its delivery it should be a Billboard topping rock smash, and "Four Corners And Two Sides" offers a unique blend of the poppy with the hardcore. All in all, this album is a far more diverse soundscape, and while the blazing leadwork plays second fiddle to a more traditional chord based approach this time, the songs still stand out and stay in your head long after the CD stops. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: Yet again, Kellin doesn't fail to impress. While not relying on the castrado-esque approach that WETSÐ did, his vocals are still a true standout aspect of the music. His voice stays in a slightly lower range this time around, focusing more on getting that hook in your head rather than busting your ear drums.

His vocals are best shown off in the songs "If You Can't Hang" and "A Trophy Father's Trophy Son", where he efortlessly balances delivering passionate lyrics with insanely catchy hooks. At times, he even has a Claudio Sanchez-esque swoon about his delivery ("Do It Now, Remember It Later"). Kellin is truly a magnificant singer, and this disk captures him in his absolute prime.

Lyrically, this disk is also a standout. Capturing everything from abandonment issues ("I've been missing you so bad and you don't seem to care/ When I go to sleep at night you aren't even there" - "A Trophy Father's Trophy Son"), the deterioration of loved ones ("You're losing your light. Everything that was yours just does not exist/So don't even try to say sorry for the things in life you might have missed" - "Fire"), and chasing the musical dream ("Remember when they said that what we want can never be done?/ When it all comes falling down we'll do what we want to" - "Do It Now, Remember It Later"). Kellin's writing comes off as both personal and relatable, a powerful element that makes these catchy songs even better. // 10

Impression: With "Let's Cheers To This", Sleeping With Sirens haven't sold out: they've experimented with their sound and found themselves as a band. It could be best explained as a total improvement on their last release (which was good too, don't get me wrong). The hooks are more catchy, the vocals are more driven, the guitars are more prominent in the final sound, and the electronic bits from their last album are almost completely gone, making this one more appealing for traditional rock fans. This is, so far, my 2011 Album of the Year, hands down.

For fans of: Circa Survive, The Maine, A Skylit Drive. // 9 - Ultimate-Guitar.com

Only being around for two years, Sleeping With Sirens have come quite a long way in such a short time. Their 2010 debut record, With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, received mixed comments and criticism. Some felt Kellin Quinn’s outrageously high-pitched vocals were too much, while others felt he had a great set of pipes. For me, as much as I tried, I simply couldn’t tolerate Sleeping With Sirens at all in 2010, thus falling into the former category by along shot.

However, just a year later, Sleeping With Sirens have made immense progress leading up to their sophomore record, Let’s Cheers To This. The main progression is Quinn’s controlled vocal style, as the high notes aren’t quite as high – thankfully – and the low screams are more structured than ever, another added bonus. The result of this growth is a record of progression, yet again, you either love their sound or hate it – there is hardly an in between here. That said, Let’s Cheers To This will surely garner more fans than it will lose, as it’s much more appealing than the previous effort.

Evident from the addicting “Do It Now Remember It Later,” Sleeping With Sirens have really expanded their boundaries this time around, separating them from a lot of the other Rise artists of similar styles. The catchy chorus on the opener proves the direction this time around to suit the band appropriately. However, the stale “If You Can’t Hang” is a mediocre follow-up due to its hackneyed lyrics, although Quinn again performs well. The slow-paced “Who Are You Now” features the soon to be fan favorite line, “So I will try to be perfect / but I won’t try to be fake,” although it is otherwise another insipid track.

Thankfully, the destructive “Four Corners and Two Sides” picks up the pace on Let’s Cheers To This, as the balance of heavy and light vocals blends wonderfully on this bipolar number, making it the first true highlight of the record. Quinn’s vocal power prevails throughout the soaring “Fire,” as his elevated vocals carry what is arguably the strongest track on the record. Although it’s been pretty mellow up to this point, that is not to say that Let’s Cheers To This doesn’t pack a few punches here in there, with the raucous “Tally It Up, Settle The Score” is driven by Jack Fowler and Jesse Lawson’s rapturous guitar play backed by Gabe Barham’s thick drumming.

Still, the intricate tracks are the truly memorable tracks. Most notably, the penultimate “All My Heart” is a standout romantic ballad, something previously unheard from Sleeping With Sirens. Likewise, the final title track is a summary of every element on the record, proving the band saved the best for last on this truly stunning end to the record. As the record comes to a close, it’s fully evident that 2011 will be a truly breakout year for Sleeping With Sirens, as it’s nearly impossible not to notice their progression in just over a year. - Absolutepunk.net