(((O))) Review: sleepmakeswaves – It’s Here, But I Have No Names for It

Australian instrumental post-rockers sleepmakeswaves are a band I’ve heard of, but never actually heard until recently. Their fifth studio album It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It, which was produced by the band, is another pandemic creation. Once the world was free again, the band took off on a 3 month tour in support of their previous EP. With that monkey off the back, they returned to finalise the album before handing it over to various people for postproduction activities. The gestation period worked as this is a confident and uplifting record that showcases a particularly talented group of musicians in full flow. The current line-up features Alex Wilson (bass, keyboards and piano), Otto Wicks-Green (guitars) and Tim Adderley (drums) and they’re a very tight unit indeed.

Opening track ‘All Hail Skull’ swells on a lovely burbling synth that Eddie Van Halen would be proud of. Similarly, the flurry of searing guitars that drop in would be worthy of the late great axeman. It’s an all-action track laden with hooks and great dynamics, to open the album. ‘Super Realm Park’ raises a glass to the musical theatrics of Rush with a myriad of riffs and twisty timings as drummer Tim turns in a world champion display of skin beating. The proggy middle section slows things down and piano leads you into calmer terrain, before the whole thing explodes in a riot of crashing drums and shredded guitars.

‘Ritual Control’ ups the mathematical content with some dexterous drumming and itchy guitars. There’s an awesome power to the track, you think it could be used to blast granite. After the formidable punch of the opening trio of songs we get to calm down with the acoustic intro of ‘Black Paradise’. Gliding strings add a little mystique to the atmospherics as the track builds in volume. ‘Verdigris’ is a beautiful interlude of glorious humming synths that remind me again of Van Halen and how Eddie would play lovely intros to some of their songs. It fits perfectly into the running order of the album and lets you catch your breath. ‘Terror Future’ drives hard on a powering bass groove as 80s sounding synths permeate the mix. The floaty vocal passage reminds me of God Is An Astronaut, which is no bad thing.

The second half of the album is a much calmer affair and the title track ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’ lurches on a slower groove wanting to relax you with warm clean guitars and more of those ethereal vocals. There’s a definite nod to prog rock as the track flows with passages that bring in additional instrumentation and the inevitable epic finale. Lovely clean guitars picked off delicately merge with piano for a sweet intro to album closer ‘This Close Forever’ which is the most melodic track on the album. Almost to the point of sounding like a different band to the album’s opening tracks. It’s fair to say the album takes you on a journey from start to end. Having said that, by way of reminder the track switches up in tempo and the final flurry of guitars brings us full circle with their arching melodies and intensity.

As the years go by, the genre of post-rock has had to expand into sounds and experimentation in order to survive. Having synths as part of your sound obviously brings an added element allowing bands to be more expressive. Whilst clearly being influenced by older music, sleepmakeswaves have created a fresh and vibrant sounding album.