I like this record. ‘Dream To Make Believe’ has a charm and appeal which really makes me want to listen. It’s possibly not apparent on first listen – and maybe not after ten listens – but eventually this record will take hold with a vice like grip. Main-man Ben is, without a doubt, a real genius, making songs glide through the emo spectrum. There are quiter songs, poppier moments and everything seems to revolve around a recurring theme of dreaming or of semi-consciousness. It’s a record to think to – how long before the NME brand them the kings of thinkcore?
From the opening bars of the instrumental ‘Armor For Sleep‘, the band create a mid-tempo sound that would make the perfect score to a film, yet they intersperse it with clever, poppier moments and intricate melodies. ‘Dream To Make Believe’ is one of the strongest songs, with its “let me sleep some more” refrain standing out. ‘All Warm’ and ‘Being Your Walls’ both come across like Brandtson circa their last EP, with delicate guitar lines wrapped snugly around some delicious melodies. ‘My Town‘ carries on the good work too, maintaining the references to fainting and sleeping. ‘Frost and Front Steps’ and ‘Phantoms Now’ are visual lyrically, a trait Ben seems to have mastered well. Throughout the album the band paint a vivid picture lyrically, culminating in the fantastic ‘Slip Like Space’.
Armor For Sleep have taken a step back from the worldwide emo explosion to create a record that doesn’t feature screaming or forced breakdowns. It’s more of a rock record that has carefully crafted song structures, all casually built around a recurring theme. Armor For Sleep probably should be a lot bigger than they already are, so check them out now.
www.armorforsleep.com
Equal Vision Records
Paul