EP REVIEW: Sister Sleep - "Wraith And Rosary"
“Did one of the most polished self released EP’s come out of Atlanta? Yes, yes it did”
by Jesse Smith
Now if anyone knows me personally, they know I am a huge fan of the emo/goth/vampiric style of art ranging from fashion to music and everything in between. The culture and aesthetic to me is so unique and breeds some of the most thought provoking and emotionally connecting creations. For me personally, bands like HIM, AFI, and even My Chemical Romance played an impotent role in upbringing and introducing me to the theatrical and emotional side of alternative music. As I geared up to do this EP review, I was not expecting to be shot back into the time where I was first discovering those bands. Atlanta based outfit “Sister Sleep” is an Alternative Rock band that recently has really blown me away and I really think more people should be on the Sister Sleep bandwagon. Bridging the gap between the early 2000’s emo/alt rock sound and putting their own modern flair, Sister Sleep is a brand new band that only released music this year. The polished sound in their EP “Wraith and Rosary” which dropped October 7, 2022 is one of the most impressive debut self released collections of songs I’ve ever heard.
Artwork for Sister Sleep’s EP, Wraith And Rosary
“The band uses every song as a form of catharsis, venting feelings of anxiety, depression, growth of loss” says Sister Sleep, and after listening to the EP multiple times over and over now, I can confidently say that I felt that in every song. From start to finish you can feel the emotions delivered by vocalist Barry Shelton. The combination of the intro track ‘Somnium’ and single ‘Give Up The Ghosts’ immediately grabs your attention with the driving intro to Give Up Your Ghost, but what really shines is the emotionally charged lyrics like “forgive me father for what I’ve done. Not a golden boy, a forgotten son” which is a bone chilling and impactful statement that I know many of us can relate to. Songs like ‘Orchid’ have a calmer vibe that is the perfect rainy day vibe song. Orchid also has so much depth which is highlighted by the keys played by Kit Savvy. Songs like ‘CoffinKarma’ touch the part of my heart that HIM lives. Bassist / Guitarist Chase Cowan and guitarist James Holloway shine in the simplicity of the verses, but in this specific song it is the sole mood setter and is perfect. Do not get it twisted, in the same song, they prove that they aren't just simplistic players with an epic guitar solo which again, takes the song to new heights.
Dynamically, the whole EP is so homogenous while each song having its own attributes and identities. The main thing I can praise Sister Sleep for is pristine song writing. There are countless great musicians that can not write a good song, and Sister Sleep wrote a whole EP of individual bangers. Being this band is so new and this polished in their songwriting abilities is like having a 6 step head start in a foot race. When you hear people talk about how local scenes have the next breakout bands in their backyard, they are talking about bands like this. The next step Sister Sleep has to do is to establish their identity and image which will come in time. After listening to the EP front to back like I did, you will understand that Sister Sleep are well aware of who they are as a band and the direction they want to head. Give them another year or two with a couple more songs that prove they got it down, and you’ll see more and more people talking about them, I know I will be. If you grew up with bands like AFI and HIM and currently like bands like The Funeral Portrait, you will LOVE Sister Sleep, I can promise it.
LISTEN TO THEIR EP HERE!