Sleepsound

"...Then Sleepsound took the stage to a crowd packed, surprisingly enough for an opener, with rabid Sleepsound fans. The band is obviously indebted to acts like Ben Folds and Coldplay, but did not let its particular brand of piano-rock fall into blandness with the help of spacey guitar work and an energetic presence on stage..." - Diversions Blog (The Daily Tar Heels' A&E Guide)

The quite-likeable Leaves Change, Sleepsound's debut EP, is a little bit Bejar (Dan from Destroyer), a little Bird (Andrew) and a whole lotta blue. It's a piano-heavy platter not too far removed from the small-budget/big idea(l)s school of songwriting, a sleek-sounding machine still feeling its oats but aching to run roughshod with the thoroughbreds of big-picture pop. It's an anxious record, and a little light in spots, but it's also a heck of an introduction to a band well worth keeping your eyes on. - Timothy C. Davis, Creative Loafing Charlotte

Chapel Hill/Durham based quartet Sleepsound presents a wonderful offering in their debut, the 6-tuned EP "Leaves Change." As a first effort this is nearly first rate, immediately ingratiating itself to our daily playlists here at TARTUNES. We're pretty darn sure it will yours, too.

As much as one can defer to the cliche of yet another Chapel Hill Indie star on the rise, Sleepsound has its own sound to be certain. Without (hopefully) insult or injury to the band, think Ben Folds or Cold Play and the lyrical side of Snow Patrol here. Large on the emotive response of introspective and romantically-inclined lyrics allowing for the realities of both glee and sorrow, frontperson Geoff Register delivers smart, competent songwriting in a mellow-mood voice that soothes and transitions exceptionally well.

Bringing urgent pleas for acceptance and forgiveness as well as for us all to sing along, Sleepsound induces a frozen-light concoction where adjectives and descriptive phrases actually match the mood of the songs: the warmth, calm and airiness of opium dreams matched to the crispness of winter cold and color.

"Let It Go," a brisk tune telling of a fear of rejection and exposure to "let it go, give up control" is emblematic of the Sleepsound style itself; a sense of floating, airy want somehow tempered in a degree of measured control.

"Only the Sun," our favorite track here, with an illicit lover in dream dispersion with only the sun to keep warm in her absence, is a sleepy sound found on fall days in sweater-warmth.

"The Balance" of "Leaves Change" doesn't stray terribly far from the formula here, but the full equation makes it relatively unnoticable as a rendering that, well, quite frankly... we haven't been able to stop listening to. As a band new to us here at TARTUNES, this EP achieves one of our highest "first-rankings" to date.

Proffering piano-driven arrangements of rather gentle guitar chords and dream-state lyrics, "Leaves Change" is very well balanced that leaves us with a high degree of expectation for Sleepsound's future, a seemingly bright one indeed. We'll sleep on it until. - TarTunes.com

Unlike many of the Triangle peers with which Sleepsound shares bills, the Chapel Hill quartet writes songs that beg for ostentatious, radio-ready production. Check the six tracks on Leaves Change, the band's debut EP: Pianos sometimes charge above arpeggiated guitars; gentle guitars sometimes lead keyboards that fill and twinkle; textural drum machines occasionally offset rhythmic diligence; the frontman constantly testifies on behalf of his emotions without equivocation. Sleepsound's pleas recall the grandeur of a low-budget Snow Patrol or The Fray and the empathy invitation of a Nada Surf chorus. Leaves Change may only be the result of two sessions in Durham and Chapel Hill last spring, but its songs and their sounds suggest a band with bigger intentions.

Frontman Geoffrey Register's awareness of his own melodrama gives Sleepsound's brand of chamber-to-arena pop surprising grace: For all those emotions scrawled across his sleeves, Register's a pragmatic lyricist, completely open about both his happiness in "The Balance" and his sorrow in "Only the Sun." On "Let It Go," though, Register identifies his anxieties and convinces himself to loosen the reins, to persevere and celebrate even "when I fall."

Both metaphorically and sonically, Register's voice begs for someone to sing with him, to help him make his romantic case during the exit refrain of "The Balance" and to plea harder during "Only the Sun," where his paramour dissipates into a dream. Sure, these are his love songs, and they're personal, sincere and disclosing. But cast only in his pleasant if wispy tenor, the construction doesn't have the reach to make his feelings ecumenical or turn his hooks into addiction. In fact, Leaves Change—a fine start and a capable launching pad—demands more at most turns, including variety and production. But it's impossible to escape the feeling that, over time, those attributes could lead to kind turnarounds for Sleepsound, and they'd be just fine with that. - Grayson Currin, Independent Weekly

The name Sleepsound doesn’t lie, as “Leaves Change” is a six-song collection of falsetto vocals, lingering chords, and dreamy arrangements. The band’s organic feel is its strength, but when it once strays with electronic beats on “One Last Time,” it doesn’t work. It fixes itself quickly with a pacing acoustic drum beat, and the song begins to sounds whole. Singer Geoff Register delivers with an optimistic laziness that perfectly complements the meandering pace of the album. The vocals stand at the forefront, quite possibly a result of Register mixing the album, but it’s the right idea, as he eases from song to song and gives them life. A definite highlight is the title track’s chorus, as Register earns his namesake, moving from one register to another seamlessly. The album’s closer, “Sometimes I Ride,” best shows the band in its element by first lulling the listener into comfort, then charging the tempo up a bit, all to just calm everything back to normal. Sleepsound shows real promise as a band able to combine a sense of beautiful hope and precise songwriting. Although not groundbreaking, “Leaves Change” is proof of a band that is comfortable with what it is, and does it does well. - Drew Kincius, WIUX Radio

Sleepsound’s debut EP Leaves Change, takes the listener along on a gently swaying journey of emotional exploration with its mellow, piano-laden music and introspective lyrics. The soft, dulcet tone of the music makes it easy to listen to and enjoy.

In the EP’s opening track, “The Balance,” Geoff Register’s lyrics paint vivid seasonal images when he sings about “Dark and long frozen nights / Lonely cold winters,” and “Warm summer days / Bright and long, sunny days,” the listener can feel the starkness as well as the warmth swirling in the song. The lyrics of the title track, “Leaves Change,” bring the same clearly defined images to mind, “The leaves are dying now / It makes the trees glow, brilliantly” as he relates them to life’s issues. In “Only The Sun” and “Sometimes I Ride” the imagery is less distinct, but still present in a well-chosen word or phrase sprinkled throughout each song.

“Let It Go” and “One Last Time” represent diversity in the music with their differences. “Let It Go” starts off with the same gentle touch as the other songs, but takes on a slightly more urgent, edgier tone, while in “One Last Time” the piano is less prominent giving the drums a more pronounced position.

The Chapel Hill/Durham, N.C.-based band of Geoff Register (vocals/piano), Todd Robert (guitar/vocals), Dean Weld (bass/vocals) and Dan Burdman (drums/vocals), have gotten off to a good start with this release, showcasing what makes their music different from the rest. (Self-released) - Kat Coffin, Performer Magazine Southeast

"...Sleepsound has high aims, their piano-based pop rooting upward through minor-key melancholy and toward grand, heart-on-the-sleeves statements like those of Top 40's The Fray or the trans-Atlantic Coldplay..." - Independent Weekly