In my books, Spencer Chamberlain is rookie of the year. Since his last musical project, Underoath, he’s back with the charm of Sleepwave, touching base on the genres of alternative rock with a mixture of post-hardcore elements. With this wholehearted effort of releasing, Broken Compass, it can be justified that people will come across this album as a starting point for fans that are yet to experience the wonders of this band and the affinity they have when approaching experimentation and taking it to the next level.
The beginning of “Paper Planes” sounds really similar to Bring Me The Horizon’s “Sleepwalking”. It might have been a huge influence on the number but the difference is, there’s a more electronic feel applied to Spencer’s vocals, intrinsically forming a major turnover point whilst being manipulated at the same time. It’s not much of a loud rock track but it’s sufficient enough to convey a powerful alternative rock sound. I find that “Rock and Roll is Dead and So Am I” has the same continuous effect with Spencer’s vocals. Not only does it give off a Linkin Park nu-metal vibe, it justifies an interesting formation of sound for the band. Needless to say, there’s a whole different level of elements being used, displaying an intense rhythmic atmosphere.
“Whole Again” feels a bit misplaced and listeners may find it an oddball to come across at first. It does however capture the energetic and upbeat fumes raging throughout, showing nothing but valiant passion from the band. Quite similar and reminiscent of Anberlin’s “Paperthin Hymn”, “Repeat Routine” just envelopes a heavier, alternative rock sound but it’s catchy and highly engrossed in crazy guitar riffs which will make listeners more intrigued and focused on the music.
Overall, Broken Compass is a very promising release although the band obviously have a lot to work on especially because there are some moments where there are a lot of inconsistencies. It can be found that some parts to songs are very energetic and fast-paced and then at other times, there are just slow numbers that appear to be placed there as fillers. Although unique and differently approached, this album would’ve been solidly done if there were screaming vocals added to the songs as well. Otherwise, Sleepwave have solid ground towards their music and I feel once they grasp the sound that they are aiming for, they will achieve success in no time.
Review Score: 7.0 out of 10
Broken Compass is available now.
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