Edinburgh’s Day Sleeper release their second EP This House Won’t Fold. It follows 2023’s debut Everything There Is and quickly establishes that the 6-piece have evolved immeasurably in the intervening years.
The opening track ‘Cast In’ is a wake up call, the building synths and layers of electronica enticing the listener before launching into the first track proper ‘Alabaster’. Thematically vocalist Leo Bargery’s lyrics depict the struggle to reclaim identity and meaning against the slow erosion of time and memory. The emotive vocal delivery demonstrates such a range on ‘Alabaster’, slight distortions adding the element of frustration which are reflected in the modular electronics and gothic guitar textures. This brooding yet powerful soundscape quietens as the track heads into the outro, with an underlying indecipherable vocal and unease.
‘By The Night’ lifts the pace. The vocal delivery of Bargery is bursting with such expression of the lyrics. It takes the listener by surprise, so brutally honest with nothing hidden. It occupies a soundscape which is bold in its instrumentation, dominated by beats and keyboards which add both a hint of tension as well as a yearning to move forward.
‘Shorthand’ (featuring SAY-nominated singer-songwriter Annie Booth) follows. A thoughtful contemplative song it’s a lo-fi folktronica gem, deftly produced and beautifully delivered. Guitars oozing heartbreak combine with modular synthesisers with stunning results. Guest vocalist Booth joins Bargery for a confessional duet that soars in conjunction with the instrumentation. The emotive power builds until the fading outro when Bargery closes out ‘Shorthand’ with a heart-rendering reflection.
‘Sugar Pills‘ stops the listener in their tracks. The tender piano-driven song is an emotional track, the waver in the vocal genuine and heart-breaking: “All the sugar pills are swallowed, they used to keep me enthralled.” ‘Sugar Pills’ suggests a struggle, a stumbling and falling into resignation. It is more powerful for not being filled out by lyrics. The tape loops pulse towards the end, the whirling speeding up until finally fading out.
The final, title, track is a highlight. ‘This House Won’t Fold‘ looks into the future, as if everything has to fall apart before it can be rebuilt. Hope is the final message of the EP and the music here sees a shift again, with a lighter touch and the synths used to glorious effect, the dancing beats alongside a guitar riff which is almost playful. There is a sense of defiance here, that hope will prevail.
Day Sleeper have said that a packed 2024 live schedule drastically shaped the musical direction of This House Won’t Fold. Drummer and producer Edwin McLachlan explains:
“The differentiator between 2023 and now is the live show. We’d been playing nonstop since the first EP dropped, tweaking the setlist and trying new things night after night, introducing new songs, letting the organic energy of the show help to dictate the writing process. The spirit of the show completely permeates the new music in a way it couldn’t before – almost everything on this record is single live takes, every drum part is the first take, a lot of the guitars, keys and vocals are too. Coming into our own as a strong live band has made the studio process pretty fearless.”
For more information on Day Sleeper please check their website and instagram.
