Sleep Station
After the War

(Eyeball/Bardic/Visigoth)

First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2004, Volume 11, #6

Written by John Metzger

Like Ryan Adams, Sleep Station’s David Debiak is an absurdly prolific songwriter. Unlike Adams, Debiak provides a far more thematic focus for his work. Indeed, each of his band’s previous outings ambitiously has revolved around a singular concept: Hang in There Charlie, for example, told a harrowing tale of a rescue attempt aboard a dilapidated space station while the group’s latest endeavor After the War examines the emotions of a soldier sent to fight the German forces in the early ’40s as well as the family he left behind. All of the requisite hopes, fears, isolation, and yearning waft through the lyrics as the songs whirl past like a series of exchanged letters that, in essence, captures the fatalistic sense of purpose that combat brings.

Where most songwriters struggle with the words, however, Debiak’s weakness is his music. On the surface, he’s equally adventurous in this regard — drawing liberally from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Who (among others) while draping his arrangements in the contemporary sounds of Weezer, Foo Fighters, and Goo Goo Dolls. Although he occasionally does find a slice of melodic splendor that mirrors the sentiments of his storyline, much of After the War drifts merrily along with generally pleasing, if not entirely resonant, results. Simply put, Pink Floyd has covered the same ground in much better fashion, and despite its lofty goals, Sleep Station just isn’t there — yet. ½

After the War is available from Barnes & Noble.
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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2004 The Music Box