- Artists:
- The Sleepy Jackson »
- Label:
- Virgin »
...And so we reach overrated band of the day number 336.
To some, The Sleepy Jackson are the most glaringly obvious next step in whimsical, mythical storytelling,_ a la_ Coyne and Donohue.
To me they're nothing more than a pale imitation - bordering on tribute status even - of the aforementioned holy order that is Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips, and the mere mention of their name in the same breath as the hallowed duo should only be to demonstrate the substandard mimicry these and other plagiarists use to only soil what reputations they may have.
As for 'God Lead Your Soul', this sounds like the results of someone who's listened to Pet Sounds one time too many, while Luke Steele's dangerously high vocal suggests a certain tender part of his anatomy must have been trapped in a vice throughout the making of this record. Nasty, admittedly, but bloody well deserved if his band aren't capable of coming up with anything more interesting and original than this.
(Cocks one ear to voice in the background) He always sings like this? What do you mean he always sings like this? Time to get a new day job then. Collect your P45 on the way out...
- Cover me bad: stars line up for Yoko Ono album
- The Sleepy Jackson - God Lead Your Soul
- The Sleepy Jackson - God Lead Your Soul
- The Sleepy Jackson offer an insight into their Personality: new single and album
- The Sleepy Jackson - This Day
- The Sleepy Jackson - This Day
- The Sleepy Jackson: Wake Up!
- The Sleepy Jackson - Lovers
The Sleepy Jackson
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...are an excellent band. Their previous record 'Lovers' is brilliant and so are the earlier EPs. True, i havent heard this song or any of the new stuff yet but im expecting good things anyhow.
In my opinion
'Miniskirt' and 'Good Dancers' off their first album pretty much trounce any single Mercury Rev or the Lips have put out. I like my pop single hits without unnecessary bleepy noises over the top. Saying that, much of their stuff hardly compares.
single of the year from the album of the year imo
tis hard sometimes to read reviews like this of music you love without passing comment. For me, the Sleepy Jackson's first two records piss all over the last 2 Mercury Rev albums and the last Flaming Lips. Personality truly is the album of the Summer, great pop songs with lush orchestration and a clear progression from Lovers.
Underrated and not overrated, sir
Harsh review
Haven't heard this song yet though
good dancers, old dirt farmer, and spirt dragged the pack are fine fine songs
and Luke Steele has a good ear for melody
umm...
..you might want to rethink this one.
you've managed to explain how overrated you think the sleepy jackson are, how they don't deserve to be said in the same breath as flaming lips etc, and then admitted that you'd never heard luke steele's voice before!! hehe, well in sir. whatever your opinions on this song (which in my opinon is good but not as good as previous stuff, not that that measn anything to you) i'm not sure you've done your integrity as a reviewer much good here...
No
I hadn't said I've never heard them before. The point I was making, albeit vaguely, was that this type of whimsical, high pitched singing pastiche of American underground literock has been done a million times over. If The Sleepy Jackson are adding something new to the mix then fine. I just don't think this - or the album it's taken off for that matter - justifies the lashings of hype around them. And for the record, I actually didn't mind the 'Vampire Racecourse' single a couple of years back, but then that's not really representative of the majority of the stuff I've heard by them.
If this was an English band a la Snow Patrol, Athlete or Razorlight, everyone would be sharpening their knives (quite rightly, I admit!) for the fact thay've made little or no effort at progressing.
Because The Sleepy Jackson aren't part of the English mainstream, they are seemingly untouchable. Well not anymore they ain't!
Lovers
for me is the Lp of the decade so far.
Bold statement I know, but it just ignites me with fireworks inside every time I hear it. Which has been very excessive over the last 3 years.
New Lp is not quite as good but only just bought it yesterday.
SHIT REVIEW
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!
you kinda did say you hadnt heard them before
when you said you hadnt heard hinm sing before.. didnt you?
and, yes, razorlight etc are being slated for churning out same old same old, but then again they've never really come up with anything original have they? not heard this sleepy album yet, but given that the first 2 releases were completely eccentric, original, eclectic and downright wonderful, i don't think you can put their follow-up into the same bracket as the bands you mentioned, as the sleepy j aren't following up something bland and cringeworthy.. hmm..
as for living up to the hype, what's that got to do with anything! forget about the opinions of build-em-up knock-em-down music journos a la nme etc. be OBJECTIVE. jeepers.
Yeah, I can see
where you're coming from with the first bit.
I guess this kind of thing just sounds so dated and worn out to me, but as for the hype, I think that has a lot to do with this band being given the level of attention they've attained over here rather than the quality/originality of their music.
I don't really understand this point at all
You think that the hype is due to the attention? Surely the hype IS the attention? Also, I think comparing Sleepy Jackson with Snow Patrol and Athlete (I personally like some Razorlight stuff) in terms of industry hype is just about one of the strangest things I've read on this site (from a DiS writer at least :)). Whether you like the music or not, I don't think you could justify the opinion that Luke Steele is purely in music for commercial success.
In your review, you imply that Sleepy Jackson are Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips plagiarists. I'd like to know which examples from these band's respective outputs have been wilfully plagiarised by this band (I think the Pet Sounds comparison is probably valid for this album at least). I would imagine it is the singing style which is the reason why you mentioned those bands, which would make a mockery of the entire second half of the review in which you make the kinds of comments about his voice which I have heard from people who like Hard Fi and Kasabian.
poor dom gourlay
If you can listen to Lovers from start to finish without surrendering your views, Dom, and sucumbing to what are its sublime, beautiful pop vocal tunes and melodies, and (heaven forbid) start enjoying yourself, then I feel more sorry for you than when I first read your name. Listen to it again, Dom. What d'you mean you only heard it once and that was in a noisy bar? No, seriously, Dom. Give it one more go. Just for me.
this is what
i really like about this site. you get a vast opinion on something even if one review doesnt like it.
this single is good, there are better songs on the record which is fantastic.
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