Although often thought of as a side-project of the criminally overlooked Kary, Wintersleep show little signs of being hastily thrown together or intent on expressing some oddball agenda not fit for their bread and butter group. In fact, if anything this self-titled debut effort from these east coast Canadians could be considered a more fleshed out version of Kary, as more emphasis is put on instrumental expression and maturity as the group pluck and plod through the material included.

This is not to say that Wintersleep are merely Kary part two, even though they may be two heads attached to the same basic body. But while Kary are often rough around the edges and prog-rock driven, Wintersleep instead come off like a more mature older brother, full of wisdom and understanding. Their song-writing is more down to earth and instrumentally driven, invoking comparisons to groups like dredg and the Dave Matthews Band. As such, Wintersleep's music, while still fairly bleak, retains more color as the band skillfully craft songs that are often downtrodden and humble, yet simultaneously carry an air of intelligence and hope about them.

On occasion forays are made into aggressive territory on this release, such as the primal riffing found on "Orca", but for the most part the bands stronger emotions remain simmering underneath the acoustically drawn surface. Such understatement creates a considerable amount of build-up that rarely sees a release, thus taking the form of a foreboding undertow. In turn, with this substantial amount of restraint being shown, and the sullen vocals often holding a timid face, the group leave the listener the task of putting together the various bits and pieces to complete the picture. Perhaps this is the most satisfying quality of Wintersleep's music, or perhaps it is just the lack of commercial sensibility and keen focus on honest musical expression that really makes this outing as enjoyable as it is in the end. Undoubtedly its moodiness and slower pace will not sit well with some, but if ever there were a perfect soundtrack to a bout of quiet retrospection on a rainy day, "Wintersleep" would probably be it.