Sleepercar - West Texas

Band: Sleepercar
Album: West Texas
Genre: Americana/Alt-country
Label: Doghouse

Tracks:
1. A Broken Promise
2. Wasting My Time
3. Fences Down
4. Wednesday Nights
5. King's and Promises
6. Heavy Weights
7. Sound The Alarm
8. End of A Year
9. You Should Run
10. All Will End Well
11. Stumble In

When At The Drive in ruled the underground, I don't think any of us could have imagined all the things that came out of their break up. There was The Mars Volta, a psychedelic rock band with 8 min. plus songs and Sparta, a more angst driven rock band. Both found success, but never touched fans the way At The Drive In was able to. Now, fast forward years later, ex-ATDI guitarist Jim Ward takes up a side project from his full time Sparta gig and the result is even farther from the sound that brought his name to the forefront of the underground scene. Sleepercar, an alt-country/rock group is set to release, "West Texas," this month, and though the sound is a whole new world for Ward, he's hitting all the right notes.

Texas is an album that I never thought I could fall for. As I mentioned, it's a different sound, but having heard and loved Ward's previous work, I decided to approach it with an open mind and I was more than pleasantly surprised. "A Broken Promise," the first track, plays like the kind of song The Killers only wish they would have written for their last album. Ward's vocals even have a sound reminiscent of Killer's front man Brandon Flowers, but with a more honest and humble sound. The third song, "Fences Down," was the first song written for the album and is the first to really showcase the country tones Ward is exploring. It's a simple song, yet powerful. The amazing thing, not only on this song, is that the whole album, both musically and vocally, seem so relaxed, but Ward's lyricism speaks waves of emotion that even hardcore vocalists can only dream of expressing. The 7th track, "Sound The Alarm," is my favorite from the album. It sounds like something The Eagles could have developed, but plays out in a style I think only ward could have developed. The drums keep you going while the guitar plays a whimsical line and Ward's vocals sway from soft to loud as he speaks about keeping life together. It's an easy pick for album single, as it displays the groups ability to blend rock and country music perfectly and also showcases the vocal and lyrical abilities quite well. As the album closes, "Stumble In," a quick paced, piano lead number, takes us out. It flows like a good folk song would and screams early Springsteen both musically and vocally. It's a fitting conclusion in that it reminds you of how captivating the band's sound can truly be, which, if your like me, will have you reaching for the repeat button.

Sleepercar is by no means the first band to mix folk, country, and rock music, but they're definitely the best band to do it in a long time. "West Texas," plays like an early summer day, both full of life and passion with the promise of a good season to follow. Only, in this case, the season is a music career, but nonetheless, if this album is any sign, Sleepercar will be a force to reckon with in no time at all.


*Written By: James Shotwell*
Grade: 7.5/10
MYSPACE