Art has remained one of the brightest spots in a year where such spots may as well have been urban myths. Whether it was forward-facing optimism, the safety of our distant memories, or something new entirely, the art of the world remains the MVP of humanity’s hearts. Fronting this charge are those pieces that manage to combine all three into something truly beautiful; enter Sleepless Nights’s Every Word Is A Trap, an era-fluid, masterfully-crafted collection of glam rock, new wave, and an x-factor that could only come from the one and only AA Wallace.
“Spendin’ Money,” released as a single late last year, is a hallmark of the band’s intention with Every Word Is A Trap. Entwined with the swagger of a tune that belongs as the headline of a soundtrack, the early release rips apart the cycle of debt that has plagued our world for generations; fitting for a track released on Black Friday. Sharp string melodies and confident percussion bring home “Spendin’ Money” as one of the album’s best.
Attention must also be fixed on “Greatest Hits,” which sports the album’s most tantalizing collection of instrumentation. From the eerie organ, to the sleepy bass synth, all the way to the hi-res explosion that could lift a skyscraper, “Greatest Hits” creates a nostalgic, anthemic, and transcendent experience with the sheer sagacity of its sound combinations.
“Pink Popcorn” deliciously stomps on the hypermasculinity of classic rock’s past (which isn’t nearly as confined to the past as one would think), strumming up an upbeat, dynamic energy to do so. Like the many, many sharp riffs throughout the track, “Pink Popcorn” demands change; change at the flash of misogyny’s head in a guillotine.
But no track embodies the spirit of nostalgia more than “Kids On Drugs,” reminiscing about a bygone era where youth was synonymous with the word “reckless” and the world was significantly less wired; the remains of oral culture would soon be no more. Combine that with a melody that would pair nicely with some neon lights and roller blades, and you’ve got nostalgia to burn.
Elsewhere, “People Like You” channels Tom Petty’s inner cyborg, “If You Let It” gifts a melody that carries you through a soft, talkative wind, and “The Woodsman” drops the single best lyric in the entire album; “It doesn’t matter what drugs I take; you’re still dead.”
Having been carving their name into Canada’s music scene since 2003, Sleepless Nights have once again shown their colours as a fine-tuned, well-oiled juggernaut capable of churning out intelligent narratives and mesmerizing melodies at a moment’s notice. Every Word Is A Trap has lots to say and has the tools to say them, and thinking of all the imaginations the album will capture is a treasure in itself.