sleepyhead – Blue |

Sleepyhead is a Manchester-based duo that specialises in Indie and Pop music. The duo has released several EPs and Albums since 2018 and does not look like they are going to stop anytime soon. Their latest EP, Blue, is the first half of an upcoming album that’s slated to be released in early 2022. Working together, sleepyhead records, mixes and masters all the tracks that they release. With a runtime of just under a quarter of an hour, and with 6 tracks, Blue is an absolutely phenomenal EP.

We begin the EP on The Agency Group II. This track sounds like the most Brit Pop song I’ve ever heard. It’s like Oasis and Blur worked together to create something truly magnificent. The guitars are simple yet take my breath away. The drums and bass keep the rhythm flowing. However, the vocals, with what sounds like a vocalizer or megaphone effect just do me over tenfold. The lyrics are absolutely sublime and invoke a bigger meaning than the song itself creates in feeling.

Moving on to Still Friends, there’s a sense of urgency and anxiety in the intro. That is quickly broken up by the introduction of relaxed vocals that overpower the anxiety. The drums still hypnotically drive the track forward, but the guitars seem to move in different keys, almost like a Blues variation. I find that the guitars show you the inner meaning that’s being masked by the vibe that the vocals portray. It is like there is a pain or discomfort that sleepyhead tries to mask, but I could be wrong.

The next track on the EP, I believe, is a continuation of this masking. The guitar goes through various dynamic and melodic changes. Meanwhile, the drums pick up the pace and build up into a crescendo. The lyrics are so raw and pure that they hit you deeply. The anxiety increases as sleepyhead says please don’t leave me / I don’t want to be alone. It’s this honesty that really attracts me towards sleepyhead, particularly Long Goodbye. The music isn’t just a representation of the band, but of all of us at various points in our lives. It’s pretty meta when you think about it.

Moving on to Day 2, we have a relatively relaxed instrumental. It feels like The 1975 collaborated on this track, but it’s all sleepyhead. I love the vibe that this duo puts out, especially on Day 2. It takes the whole honest and genuine thing to a new level when you’re sharing it with another musician as well as with an audience. Almost like an interlude, Day 2 runs on for only 2 minutes but makes you feel an enormous amount of your emotions.

By the time we move into the penultimate track, Centrefold, we’re already emotionally invested in Blue. The track picks things up again, temporally speaking. The drums and guitar pick up the pace along with the tempo of the vocals. It feels like everything is passing you by, and there’s very little you can do, much like the teenage years when things were difficult to understand. Sometimes you’ve gotta let go. Take the advice from sleepyhead and just follow through.

We finally arrive at Interlude 1, which seems aptly named considering it is the break in the album. The track slows things down again. It prepares you for the end of the EP but leaves you waiting for the remainder. This track moved me emotionally, almost hitting some pretty sensitive nerves. I just love how raw and passionate it is.

All in all, the Blue EP is such a compelling first half to the full-length album, and I cannot wait to hear the rest. Sleepyhead has a new fan in me, and I hope that they have more when people read this.