Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Sleep Station opens up its fifth full length album The Pride of Chester James, with a super upbeat track declaring that, “Jesus sings to me, every night before I go to sleep.” It’s chronically catchy and you can’t help but smile and sing along. But then, some minute and a half into the song, the lyrics die and the music turns into something dark and a little bit creepy.  This is where you realize that this album is going to be more than something to mindlessly hum along to.

Sleep Station’s The Pride of Chester James is a topsy turvy mix of tracks that appeal to emotions ranging from contemplative to angry to sad.  This concept album seems to allude to the cover art which depicts a crying man carrying a young girl out of a fire-filled carnival.  The man is presumably Chester James, the girl is probably Anna, (the title of one track on the album) and we can only guess that Chester’s pride is either found by saving Anna or lost by her death.  I suppose that’s all speculation depending on how one translates the album itself.  Oh yeah, it’s deep.

Tracks like Settle On Your Name express feelings of anger or some intense emotion with the repeated lyrics, “Hey, I wish you would go away.”  While the track Tired of Me Now may surprise you with its country-home-grown feel and it’s use of a lap steel slide-guitar, tambourine, and folksy lyrics.  Every track on The Pride of Chester James seems to have something different to offer including the track Thunder which is just what the name suggests; the sound of thunder.

What might first seem like Christian rock, or straight up folk, or maybe even country is presumably none of the above.  Sleep Station’s The Pride of Chester James is some random mixture of indie folk alternative rock and a perfect blend of good.