Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review


Sleeping At Last, Storyboards
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Sleeping At Last
Storyboards



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 11 tracks
Street Date: September 15, 2009


Things have changed for the Chicago natives Sleeping At Last since their last album, Keep No Score. First, the personnel has changed from a trio to a duo with the departure of drummer Chad O'Neal, leaving behind brother Ryan and bassist Dan Perdue. Secondly, (and more than likely influenced by the first) the pair has significantly altered their musical direction for the band's latest album, Storyboards.

Although over the course of their ten-plus year career Sleeping At Last never would have been considered a rock band, the band offered some rather up-beat tracks like "Say" and "The Night Must End" on their second release, Ghosts. And while the tone of Keep No Score was lighter than Ghosts, the tempo on Storyboards completely drops off the table giving the album a more ambient and folk-fueled tilt.

Sleeping At Last's organic, indie rock sound is intricately powered by stringed instruments varying from guitars, cellos, and violins in addition to the album's piano foundation. The ukulele also plays a central role in the first melodic track, "Porcelain," and "Slow And Steady." Often, Sleeping At Last offers an innovative fusion of acoustic instruments and soft vocals; particularly in the case of diverse, upbeat "Timelapse," and "Unmade" which both feature a terrific emotional vocal output by Ryan O'Neal. Even though the dreamy, piano-driven tune makes "Chandeliers" the best all around ballad on the album, almost every track is well rounded out. Musically, the most distinguished song is "Clockwork" which includes a buoyant, classical orchestra which conflicts with O'Neal's mainly melancholy vocals, throwing the intended tone into flux. The impressive "Green Screens" also incorporates some similar elements of "Clockwork's" orchestra, but, while it isn't as dominant, the background music sparks an impressive final stanza. While the album has few weak tracks, the project does have a couple ballads ("All This To Say" and "Naïve"), which may prompt the listener to press skip.

Although O'Neal offers his songs up for interpretation, some themes on Storyboards are quite obvious. For example, the singer clearly observes God's creation in awe on "Timelapse" and "Side By Side" (the former states "every constellation/is a fraction of God's DNA /that we were made to notice and navigate"). Other tracks are a bit more ambiguous as Sleeping At Last explores the fears and challenges that face us. The singer on "Birdcage Religion" admits his futility and need for a higher power to save him, while "Clockwork" longs for a new heaven and earth without the entropy which hinders our own planet. Also, the band seemingly drops warnings of a man-centered Christianity on both "Naïve" and "Unmade."

There are not an abundance of choruses on Storyboards and even fewer rhymes, but existence of beautiful, flowing melodies overshadow both. Although there is no need to separate the two, after you dig down, the honest but intricate lyrics are definitely a substantial appealing factor. It's not hard to understand fans who might desire a more indie rock-fueled Sleeping At Last. However, the band members are almost certainly better musicians for undergoing the acoustic slanted project, and fans are similarly better off with this brilliant album.

- Review date: 1/11/10, written by Nathaniel Schexnayder of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

 

. Record Label: None
. Album length: 11 tracks
. Street Date: September 15, 2009
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Porcelain (4:01)
  2. Chandeliers (3:57)
  3. Naive (3:51)
  4. Side By Side (3:23)
  5. Slow & Steady (4:14)
  6. Clockwork (4:00)
  7. Unmade (3:36)
  8. Timelapse (3:49)
  9. Birdcage Religion (3:56)
  10. Green Screens (3:31)
  11. All This To Say (3:33

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images