SLEEP TACTICS USHERS IN THEIR NEXT FULL-LENGTH LP WITH A GRITTY ALT-ROCK SINGLE “THE LAUGHING HEARTS”

Analog recordings are not so much a lost art as one might presume. Up-and-coming alt-rockers Sleep Tactics very much embrace tradition while using it to innovate their own unique, signature sound. Their latest single, “The Laughing Hearts,” welcomes a new era for the band as they gear up for their next full-length LP.

Typically, the band would consider themselves to fall under the “math rock” umbrella, for better or worse. However, this single proves that they have pivoted in a different sonic direction. Now, they fixate more on dynamics than complicated time signatures and guitar tunings. These choices allow the group to embrace dynamic tension, elevating their lyrics through the instrumental.

The audible crescendos emphasize specific lyrical themes; however, the lead vocal is most interesting in the mix. It’s grainy, a bit intentionally strained, and far more reminiscent of emo records of the early 00s. Sleep Tactics could fit in well on a bill with My Chemical Romance during their Bullets era, given this specific sound.

Overall, “The Laughing Hearts” swells with bass riffs and a looping lead guitar that will be stuck in your head for days to come. The overlapping bridge and fade-out make me feel like we are, in fact, SO back.

Alt-rock and emo never really left; they just changed shape, and Sleep Tactics proves that.