Wintersleep: Untitled

Wintersleep is currently making a bit of noise in Canada, garnering comparisons to acts like Radiohead and Low, and touring with the likes of Broken Social Scene, Pearl Jam, and the Tragically Hip. While Wintersleep don’t live up to those Radiohead comparisons on this effort, they do show a knack for finding a pocket and settling in. Evoking the grandeur of Jeff Buckley in spots and the precision of Rush in others, Wintersleep’s epic-leaning indie approach is most effective when the band stretches out, as on the brooding, building “Nerves Normal, Breath Normal”. Surprisingly, Wintersleep also have a very effective low-key side, as evidenced by Paul Murphy’s Lou Barlow-like vocals on quiet tracks like “Listen (Listen, Listen)” and “People Talk”. Although the album’s not earth-shattering, it’s definitely a grower — one that points to Wintersleep as a capable band right now, but also as one that might be able to do some very interesting things in the future.