Riding the success of their award-winning breakthrough
Take Me Back to Eden, the undefinable enigma that is
Sleep Token made a quick turnaround with their stunning major-label debut,
Even in Arcadia. A streamlined evolution of their established sound, this ten-song set tightens their rule-shattering whirlwind into a focused assault on the senses and emotions. The faithful will have a pretty good idea of what to expect, but for newcomers and the uninitiated,
Sleep Token presents a wild mix that may be confusing and even off-putting to a casual observer. However, if the listener can lock in, it's a refreshing thrill to hear so many styles smashed together. Smooth jazz saxophone, sweeping strings, and twinkling piano crash into crushing djent-y riffs, pummeling drums, and proggy time signatures. There's haunting choir backing, demonic growls, full-chested roars, soulful crooning, and angelic vocal highs that would make
Chino Moreno proud. Often colliding on the same track, these extremes are expertly employed to bring out parts of the human experience that may not emerge within typical genre boundaries. Album standout "Caramel" -- their highest-charting mainstream single to date -- is a vulnerable, intensely personal plea to fans that has the best singalong chorus on the album, while on the whiplash "Emergence," singer
Vessel's vocals soar before getting dragged through a cloud of distortion, all while a space riff tears through a thick beat drop and wall of shoegaze-y haze. And then that sax solo comes out of nowhere. "Dangerous" could have been a hard-hitting K-pop production in another life, while the sparkling "Past Self" merges hip-hop heart, pop flourish, and elements of U.K. garage. The closing trio of highlights shines even brighter: as the pained beauty of "Damocles" masks the anxiety and tension at its lyrical heart, "Gethsemane" breaks down a relationship in shockingly vulnerable fashion for a band so set on anonymity. Closer "Infinite Baths" lives up to its title, providing a cleansing, cathartic release across an epic eight-minute journey that shimmers, stomps, and shreds. Beyond the distraction of their costumes, makeup, and impenetrable lore,
Sleep Token's music, at the core, is absolutely gorgeous escapism executed by a highly proficient, imaginative outfit. They've leveled up to the mainstream majors on
Even in Arcadia, a heart-rending beauty that is wholly unexpected. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
