The Sleeping - The Big Deep Album Review - REDEFINE magazine - music art film journalism

The Sleeping has been around for a hot minute now, and their presence has been largely welcomed, particularly since they a part of the crop of Long Island bands like Bayside and I am The Avalanche who have been crafting haunting pop-punk records through the years.

For their latest release on Victory Records, The Sleeping offer up The Big Deep, an album that relies heavy on synths and caustic vocals. Think of it as the record that Underoath might’ve made had they embraced their pop side a little bit more. At times angular and interesting, The Big Deep‘s biggest fault is that it’s too cohesive of an album.

Read about this album cover artwork

The record’s opening track, “Dark Days,” segues into “Boroughs Of The Ocean” so seamlessly that it feels like you’re listening to an eight-minute song instead of two different tracks. The title track is easily the album’s apex. It’s half-danceable and epic emo and definitely plays up to The Sleeping’s strengths.

The Big Deep could definitely be a big record for the band and anyone who misses Three Cheers-era My Chemical Romance. It’s a dramatic album and finds influence in new wave just as much as it does pop-punk. While many of the record’s songs are forgettable, it’s not terrible enough for me to make a coaster out of. This would have made a much better EP than a full-length, for what it’s worth.