All hail the introverts. Denmark band Sleep Party People make the kind of sound that feels like a 3am night sweat, feverish and full of unresolved issues and bizarre, half-digested dreams.
Brian Batz, the founder and lead singer, is inspired by dream-pop and soundtracks alike, and their sound falls somewhere between soundscapes, ambient and the post-rock of artists such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions In The Sky.
It Won’t Be Cinematic then, the opening track, could be something of a misnomer, as it’s crunchy electronics and submerged vocals which is incredibly evocative of abstract imagery.
Pagan Flowers is bathed in detuned radio signals, bells and distortion, whereas Tide feels like Caribou on downers, glitch dream-pop with strings to temper the unease.
Of course, there are obligatory collaborations too. Sound of Ceres’ K Hover lends willowy vocals to the pretty yet unsettling Moldering Fragments which, with its blissful acoustic guitar and shimmery keys, is reminiscent of a more ambient Perfume Genius.
It feels like a really confident record from a band who reputedly went on stage in rabbit masks to hide their shyness. Perhaps it’s a removal, metaphorically, of the disguise now.
Some albums really fit certain seasons – Sleep Party People is ideal for contemplative, uncertain and transitional autumn, both mellow and crunchy. The cold and vulnerability seems perfect, strong sunshine but cooler winds in the air. And it really grows and resonates with time, with every single listen.