While Eastern Canada's Wintersleep have yet to really break into the public consciousness their continued output has certainly garnered them a devout and loyal fan base. Originally started as a side project to Kary, Wintersleep are said to have now become more of the chief focus of the shared members of the two groups, and with an album as solid as "Untitled" few should take issue with this.
A sobering melodic experience with jangling guitars, mildly progressive undercurrents and a graceful sense of maturity, Wintersleep's music rarely fails to deliver. Their somewhat barebones aesthetic still remains in place, but their production values and songwriting ability has greatly increased since their past effort. Impressive amounts of engaging instrumental build-up and haunting melodies occur, but through it all the band create material with an actual soul of its own, rather than rely on any gimmicks or towering stacks of effects pedals.
Undoubtedly this effort will appeal most to fans of groups like dredg and the like, but that is mainly for a lack of a better comparison. "Untitled" is about as humble as a grandiose musical affair can get and probably not since Rush has a Canadian band so skillfully pushed the boundaries of what is expected of progressive rock. The sonic expanse covered here is both vast and welcoming and their well-worn indie charm is enchanting. Sure, it is true that their droning nature and downtrodden repetition will not appeal to everyone. But those who can't keep their eyes open while listening to the current indie rock hopefuls will have no problem staying awake here.
(4 / 5)
wookubus