Release Date: (October 07, 2003)
Label: Interscope Records
Producer: Bjorn thorsrud

December Hotel
Overall Rating:  ++++-

(Say)

For most people, the name Sleeping at Last won't strike a bell. At least not yet. Hailing from the Chicago music scene where they have developed a strong local following, Sleeping at Last is poised to turn heads and attract a large crowd of listeners with their first major label release on Interscope.

It seems that the musical climate is right for a band like Sleeping at Last, who displays a fresh, new sound in conjunction with beautiful lyrics. We have seen Coldplay become a success by simply creating quality music, regardless of thoughts about what will be a hit radio single. Sleeping at Last very much has that same spirit to their music.

Listing influences as diverse as Radiohead, Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins, and U2, the band's new release Ghosts does a highly credible job of forging its own sound that is first and foremost an artistic achievement. The music is both driving and soothing, with an emphasis on soaring atmosphere that can oftentimes cause goose bumps. In the midst of this moving, gorgeous music somehow the songs contain that little something that makes them very easy to listen to on a constant basis. The vocals of Ryan O'Neal remind of a smoother, less angst-filled Thom Yorke (of Radiohead) as his voice seamlessly glides along adding character to the music.

The lyrics on Ghosts are amazing. The songs would undoubtedly stand well on their own simply as poetry on a page. There is a definite emphasis on faith through life's ups and downs in the way that Ryan O'Neal pens his songs. This is meaningful music that can certainly make a difference in the midst of an industry in which there is little meaning to be found.

In the song "Brightly," one of the album's most crucial moments, O'Neal sings, "We rise and fall from you. We rise and fall far from you. Climb, climb, climb. We fall. May we run from the sins of the past, the sharpest words we cast. Begin again." The song creates a moment of near epic proportion as it seems to sum up the story of humanity in one fell swoop. The song concludes with the words, "Trace these fingerprints closely now. And they will form what you are looking for. We'll make new prints once more."

The closing track "Trees" seems to be that one musical experience that the rest of the album is built around as O'Neal releases the words, "My ear is pressed upon this wall for behind it is that place. The door is locked, but I'll do whatever it takes. You've got to trust me, I know where I'm going. Will you follow me. Will you follow me still." With the moving sound of the music, "Trees" becomes one of the most solid songs that the world has seen in quite a while.

Sleeping at Last's album is rich and fulfilling on so many levels. Chicago has kept this secret long enough. Now everyone is ready to partake in one of the very best albums of the year.

-- Trae Cadenhead