2006, No Milk Records
There's a very familiar -- yet surprisingly fresh -- style in this self-titled debut from New York's Sleepaway. The opening track, "Nice Shoes, Hollywood!" provides a good sense of the record; a seeming permutation of the prototypical post-rock formula ("quiet-loud-quiet-loud" has been adopted, though without the expected post-rock flair or sense of timing, but it still offers an interesting feel to the record), Sleepaway displays their obvious influences off the bat.
Generally poppy and feel-good, Sleepaway makes known the band's affection for dreamy melodies and the expected soft (but not too soft) vocals that have permeated the oft-termed "emo" musical movement of recent times, thought it could more appropriately (and decidedly less-volatile) be set under the generic "pop-rock" banner.
Sleepaway is certainly not a bad record -- it's rather far from such a status, even -- but it, by no means, is staggeringly unique or destined for greatness -- but, then again, how many debut releases have been? Sleepaway's managed to create a driving, poppy record that's destined to catch the ears of at least a few young listeners.