Customer Reviews

Sleepwalker

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first heard of these guys in an AP magazine. They looked like their music would be terrible and another run-of-the-mill emo band. About a month later, their name popped back into my head when I was listening to some music. I heard 4 of their songs and was very surprised. The names to their song also made me groan becaise again, it looked as if they were another emo band (which is just what the world needs...note the sarcasm). Anyways, so I really enjoyed these songs I heard and decided to buy this album since it was cheap on this site. I don't think I have ever been more surprised in an album. Although the names are very emo ideas, they take a bad situation and turn it into a good one. It's actually hopeful and pretty profound. How could these guys create such a gem after a very emo EP? This CD has amazing lyricism though. His voice is also very surprising in a good way. Songs:

1. Alcohol & Bandages - (4/5) Good opening to the CD. Solid song, not very long, got me to keep listening instead of just skimming through the CD.

2. Best Mistake - (5/5) I liked the theme of this song. It's pretty good musically as well. Overall, just a great song.

3. Goodbyes - (5/5) A hopeful outlook by guys who look like they do? I guess you never can judge a book by it's cover. Great lyrics.

4. Tearing Through Me - (5/5) Maybe the most emo lyrics on the album. Still a quieter, great song. Again, some great lyrics.

5. Paper, Rock, Scissors - (5/5) Made me mad that they emphasized the scissors part of that title. I have no idea why it's called this, but it's a great song. Very hopeful and very "poppy" sounding. One of the best on the album. Great chorus and great lyrics.

6. Emergency Room Romantic - (5/5) One of the most emo titles on the CD. Not that emo though. He actually takes the extremely negative situation that most emo bands just dwell on, puts it in the past, and says how he finds love in the emergency room. This made me very happy to hear how he turned such a bad topic into a good one.

7. Dusk, The Day After - (4/5) Not a bad song. Some pretty good lyrics. Solid song.

8. Slow Suicide - (5/5) The beginning of the zenith of this CD. He talks, not about killing yourself with a razor or something to that effect, but about how things that this world decides to disguise as innocent (sex, pain, drugs, alcohol) are slowly killing us. Amazing lyrics. Incredible song.

9. Here's Everything I Ever Meant To Say To You (or something to that effect) - (5/5) I should be giving this a (6/5). I didn't expect a completely selfless, amazing love song on this CD, but I found one. This song is without a doubt the best one on here. Incredible in every aspect. Listen to this if you haven't heard it.

10. The Here And Now - (4/5) A good wind down from the last two songs. Good opening. Pretty cool, solid song. Good lyrics.

11. I Should Mean More - (5/5) Great ending to the CD. Great lyrics again. A great intro to this song. I really enjoyed how it would get louder after the chorus, but stayed quiet the rest of the time.

Overall, a gem of a CD. I don't know what to classify it as, but I'm leaning towards pop-rock. It's unfortunate that they broke up right after this one. They could have continued their amazing lyricism. Get this CD, and you will not be disappointed (unless you want to hear the maligned emo that people like Hawthorne Heights sing).

JamisonParker is not Emo. Jamisonparker does not write juvenile lyrics. The whole Emo/Pop/Pop-Punk/Punk/Alternative thing is going too far. I actually met these guys on South Street in Philly after one of their shows at the Pontiac Grille and we asked Jamison what type of music they write. He said, "Rock, just rock ya know, too many people try classify bands these days, it's all rock music." I thought he had a good point because whether or not it's hard or soft or in between it's still rock and always has been. This band should make it big, they've got the talent and that other dimension that the majority of bands out there don't have.

This is a pretty good emo-pop band. They're very commercial sounding, but they aren't typical power-pop emo, they have much stronger and more prominent melodies, and intricately layered parts that compliment each other perfectly for the ultimate pop punch. Some of the lyrics are ridiculously juvenile ("Sleeping's overrated, we lay awake and cry, if this is love then kill me now and save me from my life"), but it doesn't bother me too much because musically these guys so have their own style. They aren't held back by the confines of the emo scene sound like every other band, they just write really good pop-rock songs, and actually use overproduction well to add depth to their sound instead of losing it like most bands do. The My Bloody Valentine style guitar on Tearing Through Me is a welcome surprise and further evidence that these guys have a wider range of influences and creativity than their emo peers.

It's been a long time since i bought a cd that i actually will love.

JamisonParker had made songs with such happy melodies that make me smile all the time whenever i listen to it. but deep inside, i felt like breaking down, the reason is--the lyrics.they are so dark and sad. it was totaly different to those "oh i love you so much.....dun leave me...."kind of lyrics, their lyrics far more better than that!!

i have been listening to this cd non-stop since the day i've bought it, and i never got tired of the voice, the melody ,and even the lyrics.

But i must admit that this cd is not really that "perfect".Jamison has started almost every song with that low, wishpering voice. i wish i could at least hear one song that will have his normal voice on it......yeah ..but overall, this is a freakin' great cd like i've said before.

I've recently purchased this CD after only hearing a few samples. I was disappointed when I heard they broke after I bought the CD, but I'm extremely glad I bought this before I knew because I might have passed this amazing CD up.

1. Alcohol & Bandages 5/5 - Slow, but up-beat tempo.
2. Best Mistake 5+/5 - More up-beat tempo. One of my favorites. Incredible.
3. Goodbyes 4/5 - Another slow song. Still beautiful.
4. Tearing Through Me 5/5 - This song grew on me. After a few more listens it became an instant favorite.
5. Paper, Rock, Scissors 5+/5 - 2nd favorite. Great tempo.
6. Emergency Room Romantic 4/5
7. Dusk, The Day After 4/5
8. Slow Suicide 5+/5 - Amazing lyrics. Great song.
9. Here's Everything I've Always Ment To Say 10/5 - I have to say this is my favorite. A slow song, but amazing lyrics and tempo.
10. The Here And Now 5/5 - This song also grew on me. love it.
11. I Should Mean More 4/5 - Great way to end.

Songs so beautiful they'll make you cry, think and enjoy life. I can't quite put into words how amazing this CD is. You just have to listen to it yourself to know. What I love about it is every song has a meaning and Jamison and Parker really show those emotions you've always wanted to express. Again, I can't seem to find the words.

The songs will be stuck in your head, but you won't mind having them there ( promise ). The lyrics are beautiful along with the intsrumentals and vocals. A must have CD. Well worth over $9.99.

Songs to check out :
Best Mistake
Rock Paper Scissors
Here's Everything I've Always Ment To Say
Slow Suicide

For Fans Of:
Straylight Run
The Academy Is
Mae
Basically anything and everything.
I know everyone would enjoy this album.

Review by Cory Rennison:

It seems like whenever the word "emo" pops up when describing a band, there's always some type of string attached. There can never be an "emo" album anymore without the band trying to fit into a certain scenester label like screamo or metalcore. Instead of forcing screams into their album, or randomly throwing a breakdown in to please a certain group, JamisonParker have recognized their place in music and have written a focused album packed full of clever sounds and melodies.

The band consists of two members, Jamison and Parker, whom carefully crafted each song by themselves and recorded it as a two-piece on Sleepwalker. Since this is technically an "emo" record, the lyrics are predictable, but there are actually some creative lines here and there. Instrumentally, there's some retro-sounding songs, the most notable being "Slow Suicide", which might appeal to fans of The Killers, and some songs with contagious melodies along the lines of Armor For Sleep (the track "Emergency Room Romantic" actually sounds like something Armor For Sleep would write). While it's not the most complicated or progressive style of music, it serves the purpose of being catchy.

Some problems that arose with this disc were that some of the songs seemed like filler tracks, and some sounded much too similar to other tracks. It would have been nice to hear a little more vocal range. Every track seems to start with the same low monotone whispers, which sound like something along the lines of Dashboard Confessional's annoying vocals, and most of the verses had similar vocal patterns. The choruses proved that some great singing was possible, and for future efforts the guys shouldn't be afraid to go all out.

For being an "emo" album, this took me by surprise. It's not heavy, it's not complex, but there's some decent songwriting on Sleepwalker, and in the end that's what makes it a better than average album.

This album is a huge improvement over Notes & Photographs. Every song is unique and they all show different views. The lyrics are amazing, but they can also pull off great songs with cliche lyrics on account of thier music ability. This album is easily one of the year's best for you emo and punk lovers. They aren't too emotional, but not too punk, they are a happy medium. They will stick around for a while if you let them. The songs center around a sort of party life, with a soft side... Sort of like I'll live life to the fullest, but I don't want to lose you. It's just amazing.

When we got this at the radio station I work at I just shrugged it off as another stupid emo album (we get a LOT of bad albums in new rotation) until I heard another DJ play the song "Goodbyes". I usually can't stand emo bands, but this song in particular sounded so good and stirred up such emotions (similar to the goosebumps I get when I hear Radiohead's "Planet Telex") that I decided to listen to the rest of the album. Lo' and behold I bought it a week later! The great thing about JamisonParker is that the lyrics are good enough to be interesting, the guitar work is catchy enough to get hooked on a first listen, and Jamison's voice isn't so whiny that it's annoying (although I can still picture a lot of people not liking it - it's standable for the open-minded, but it hurts the rating and its appeal). If I could I would give it 4.5 stars. The first 6 songs flow well together and are all good or great with the rest of the album not faring as well. These first 6, however, make it a very satisfying purchase for fans of the genre. It's just barely not a classic, but I think that's because, though it's really good, it seems kind've derivative. I'm not entirely convinced non-emo fans would like it, so be warned. It would've easily gotten "5" stars if Jamison's voice wasn't kind've bad and annoying (I personally like it but I can definitely see a lot of people not enjoying it). All in all, however, I would still highly recommend this! If you liked this album I would also recommend Daphne Loves Derby's "On The Strength Of All Convinced".

Highlights include:
"Alcohol & Bandages"
"Best Mistake"
"Goodbyes"
"Tearing Through Me"
"Paper, Rock, Scissors"
"Emergency Room Romantic"
"Slow Suicide"
"Here's Everything I've Always Meant To Say" (to an extent)

I thought this cd was great. Emo a little. Good music, alot. worth the $3 or whatever it is for the cd

their music is awesome. there's not a song i skip when i listen to it