Customer Reviews

Sleep Without Dreams

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On their MySpace page, 2*Sweet (bad band name!) calls themselves "Chicago Doom Pop" and I suppose it's as fitting a label as any. I would call it pop punk done right: not so stubbornly simple as to bore anyone over the age of 13, but still catchy, energetic and melodic. The riffs are tight and acrobatic with tinges of much heavier music. The choruses revert to the poppy punk chord chugging, but this is where the vocals shine. Singer Justin Gold is clearly still learning his own range, but he proves here he has the chops to be a legit singer. His melodies are well thought out, and he mostly works in a range that fits nicely with the tempo and emotion of the songs. He has some slight affectations that reek of melodrama, but ultimately it works. An earlier, internet-only release of a Danzig cover hinted at where this influence might come from.

My understanding is that this is an independent release. Besides the silly band name, the only sign of this is in the vocal production. Guitars and drums are recorded and mixed expertly, but the vocals aren't as tight. Some songs are spot on (Speak of the Devil), some are less so (Dateless for Armageddon). The songs and performances more than make up for this oversight, but it makes you wonder how good it could have been with a major label budget.

A few places the songs trip up... and awkward transition here, an odd key change there, but it's more of a running stumble than a full on face plant. These songs are just to good to be ruined by a few minor, immature musical choices. I never would have imagined liking this kind of music, but 2*Sweet makes it 2*Easy. (See what I did there?)

Standout Tracks: King Midas' Desert, Rested Eyes Tell No Lies