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Label: Doghouse
Release: April 22 2008
Hometown: IL



8.5 (out of 10)


Some people make songs about girls. Some people make songs about their lives. Jim Ward apparently can't get enough of the left quarter of Texas. Sleepercar is Ward's latest side project since retiring from his now defunct band At The Drive-In and starting to helm his new band, Sparta. I read that "West Texas" was going to be brimming with Americana influenced rock songs which seems like something Jimmy would navigate to after his post hardcore/indie roots. Either way, these five guys are here to make this something more than just a side project and I'm here to listen.

   Boy was the Americana detail an understatement. At first glance, you could almost set the first song to some episodes of the wonder years. (obviously more upbeat then Joe Cockers "With a Little Help from My Friends" but you get the idea.) Just a warning to some, this is filled to the top with pseudo country/folk tracks that sing along with twangy twilight guitars and indie spoken word sections. If you enjoy acoustics then you will also be in for a treat when listening to "West Texas" because it seems to have an abundance of them, and they chime together with the effects ridden guitars for some remarkable and balanced listens.

   Of course when I said "warnings" earlier, I mentioned it because I know that their are people out their that have a hard time swallowing an alt-country/folk mixture and normally I would be with them but Sleepercar seems to tight rope walk the line between passable and memorable enough to warrant mention. Now you may ask yourself, "Hey Pernell, how dare you have the right to pass over a band because of their genre?" Well I don't, I give it a fair listen and if I like it and I think people will like it, I give it some sexy word of mouth. That is the way I feel about these guys. They were able to make an album that plays with heart and also has a southern comfort vibe melting from it that should be heard.

   So if you can get past the trouble some of you might have with folk infused with twangy americana then you might be able to enjoy a hoedown of a good time. If you already enjoy this type of music, then this will be something raw and beautiful to hear for the first time. Don't let this be a sleeper hit of 2008, check it out.

~ Pernell
March 14 2008


Sleepercar
West Texas
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