Sleeping Weather

I Was Just On My Way Out (2014)

RENALDO69

Take three friends from Denver and let them run free with an unrestrained, well-composed '90s rock sound. Throw in earnest songwriting and melodic arrangements and the result would be Sleeping Weather. This trio focuses on non-complexities in a pretty straightforward rock discourse which may well peg them as another anachronistic band that's better suited to a decade or so ago. Overall, their musical narrative has enough drive to allow I Was Just On My Way Out to stake a well-deserved claim in your player.

Sleeping Weather constructs mid-tempo riff-raff that comes off more alternative or low-key grunge than the indie label they're oft associated with. "Cringe" exemplifies this as it's laced with cutting guitars as well as a bass-ridden forte. There's a toned-down 90s era Seattle or Detroit vibe emanating from so many sections of the record. Their music is instrument-driven and dabbed in intricacies when need be to build a sense of inner-reflection which nods to contemporary bands like Balance and Composure, Daylight and Citizen among the many. Still, Sleeping Weather feels more worn and rugged than these bands. Sharp kitwork and dynamic bass-lead guitar interplay drive "The Inbetween" as another grasping track which emphasizes how balanced their musical direction is.

They then gloss over acoustics like "I SWEAR" and "Discover Me" - the latter a poem to Richmond - and it's like Johnny Rzeznik from the Goo Goo Dolls cast a shadow on them. They muse over these acoustics with a powerful sincerity and this emotive calm mixes well with the aggression on songs like the indie-alternative "Thereasonswhy". This which feels like their cut-loose effort on the album and embosses itself as the major breath the band takes to sum up who they are and why they're making music. It highlights that versatility on this record comes in more than infrequent dashes. With a nifty little production in tandem, Sleeping Weather lay a great foundation here and with some polishing up, they have something in I Was Just On My Way Out which they can explore and make a bigger novel from.