Review: Dayseeker ‘Sleeptalk’
Dayseeker ‘Sleeptalk’ album artwork
Let’s start this off very bluntly so there’s no guesswork needed as to whether this album is good or not. Sleeptalk is the reason you don’t figure out your album of the year before October. Dayseeker returns with another masterful entry into their five-album discography spanning over six years. Constantly evolving and maturing, Dayseeker somehow builds on their 2017 album of the year contender Dreaming Is Sinking /// Waking Is Rising with Sleeptalk. It’ll only be a matter of taste on how you rank them in your head. It’s extremely difficult in any time period to consistently make quality music, album after album, and It’s a very good sign when a band’s past discography is really their best competition.
Depending on your musical taste, if you don’t like the trend of tons of electronics being added in post-hardcore/metalcore music [insert band here that released an album last year or this year that completely changed their genre(s) to follow popular trends], you may have been concerned that’s the direction Dayseeker was headed, but I’m here to tell you that isn’t the case [sigh of relief]. Dayseeker embraces their past roots, expanding their horizons by adding atmosphere but without sacrificing the final product. It’s a skill to add electronic elements to certain styles and genres not built on them, that’s something many bands in the scene don’t quite grasp, but Dayseeker proves on Sleeptalk that it’s possible to pull it off correctly.
Everything is very crisp and clear here with a great balance of musicianship between instruments and vocals, but don’t be fooled, this is a big showcase for vocalist Rory Rodriguez. He strings you along through the musical narrative with ease, constantly making you crave when he’ll unleash a long-held high note or shattering scream. Well known for being able to transition seamlessly between singing and screaming (clean and unclean vocals for others), Rory continues to weave in and out throughout the entirety of Sleeptalk with a slight break in the interlude entitled ‘The Embers Glow’, which breaks up the ten-track album right in the middle. But, don’t sell the instrumentation short by any means. Everything is used to complement each other and space is wonderfully filled, from start to finish. There are no “dead spots” in Sleeptalk, only emotion, and passion. That doesn’t just come from “slower” songs, a soft opening, or a duet, which are all methods used in Sleeptalk, emotion and passion are exuded from the band, seemingly with ease, no matter the track.
Dayseeker continues its tradition of being excellent songwriters and storytellers. You won’t be bored while navigating the ten tracks of Sleeptalk, on the contrary, there’s so much to listen for, you’ll find something new with every listen. It gets rarer and rarer for bands to put the effort into creating an album experience. So many are looking for that hit single that can be played on repeat, but an album experience is still something a lot of people in the scene love, and Dayseeker have delivered another one of those experiences (not the only one in their discography either).
This is the album that should put Dayseeker on the map. This should be their breakout and it’s been a long time coming. I’m going to do something different and end this conversation on Sleeptalk by going full circle.
Question: Did Dayseeker deliver a memorable album?
Answer: Dayseeker’s album Sleeptalk is the reason you don’t figure out your album of the year before October.
Track List: