Sleepy Kids
Performing the
type of female-vocals-driven alternative music that catches the ear and
demonstrates solid musical acumen that ensures they stay busy performing live
frequently, Haybaby’s Sleepy Kids
delivers a sonic experience at once familiar, yet with a touch of the personalization
that keeps them from fading into the crowd.
The six song EP reviewed here has since been flushed out into a full
album of tunes that, if these six are any indication, are definitely worth a
few listens and certainly worth checking them out if they perform at a venue
near you.
According to the
various reports I found while Googling the band, they get frequent bookings in
and around their native New York City (Brooklyn specifically), and manage to
remain pretty busy in that crowded scene.
Sleepy Kids certainly proves
they deserve all the attention they get.
“Old Friends”
opens the sextet of tracks with Leslie Hong plucking out a solitary guitar beat
before accompanying herself with haunting vocals for the verses. During the choruses bassist Sam Yields
maintains the beat, while Hong goes full One Eyed Doll with the guitar and
shrill vocals. Recent addition Jeremy
Duvall on drums performs well in support of the two front people.
“New Friends”
follows with both verses and chorus meeting on between “Old Friend”’s extremes. This track stays solidly in the alternative
sound space created by those who’ve gone before with their distorted guitars
and flat-yet-urgent vocals.
Haybaby relies less
on distorted riffs to disguise a lack of creativity than do many alternative
bands. The third track “Sharks” backs up
the melancholically cheerful vocals with nice string and drum work, never
resorting to chords and burying the song under a layer of fuzz. This is just solid alternative music, never
quite getting to radio-friendly, but always enjoyable. “Pizza Party” continues this style, but
keying down the verve and urgency for the verse elements of the tune, and
making the instruments do the full load of the chorus ramp-up in tempo and
tone. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a
song where the chorus is vocals-less, but it really works for “Pizza Party.”
The collection is
rounded out with “Her” and “Elevator Song.”
“Her” continues the stylistic excellence of the EP, while “Elevator Song”
allows Duvall space to shine and break out a bit from beat support and become a
unique element in the Haybaby mix.
Haybaby’s Sleepy Kids delivers everything good and
sublime that female-fronted alternative bands can offer. It’s never so unique and different that it’s
off-putting, but it keeps its own sound and demonstrates why we continue to
seek out new music and new artists. We’ll
never be lacking for a soundtrack to our lives if we keep finding audio treats
like Haybaby.
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