Fresh Track: Sleeping Bag “Walk Home”

Women of Your Life, the sophomore album from Bloomington, IN’s Sleeping Bag is one of my most anticipated releases of the latter half of 2012. The band offered one of the best debut records of last year in its self-titled LP on Joyful Noise Recordings. Built around the sedated delivery of lead singer Dave Segedy, Sleeping Bag crafted these beautiful, angst-ridden bummers that proved impossible to dislodge from the brain. The lethargic vocals coupled with the effortless simplicity of the music gave the album an air of satire, as if Segedy was gently mocking the indie rock genre his band fit so neatly within. The flip-side was that Sleeping Bag ran the risk of becoming one-dimensional.

I’m pleased to say that, upon initial inspection, Women of Your Life puts to rest any early concerns. Sleeping Bag offers a wider range of emotion and displays a willingness to venture beyond its comfort zone without abandoning the foundation that brought them this far. On no track is this more apparent than the hypnotic, existential crisis of “Saturday Night.” It’s a foot-stomper that finds the band exploring more complex rhythms than anything from the debut. Above it all, Segedy poses a series of absurdist rhetorical questions in a way that is completely abstract from the music’s danceable nature. Unfortunately, that track is no longer available for streaming. So, listen to it when you buy the record.

Joyful Noise is releasing 300 copies of Women of Your Life on mint green vinyl, packaged in hand-screened jackets. Pre-order your copy from Sleeping Bag’s Bandcamp page. The record drops on November 27. However, pre-orders feature an immediate digital download. Listen to lead single “Walk Home” and check out the track listing to Women of Your Life below.

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Track List:

1. Women of Your LIfe

2. Soda You

3. Soccer Ball

4. Allison Cole

5. In the Pocket

6. Nightmare

7. Saturday Night

8. Coco

9. Still LIfe

10. Walk Home

Written by Rob Peoni