SLEEPING WITH SIRENS - COMPLETE COLLAPSE
Sleeping With Sirens are a permanent fixture within the hearts of any self-proclaimed emo-music lover, and they’re also no stranger to a shift in tone. Their discography is an exhibition of this, having been unable to commit to either their heavycore roots or their previous leap towards pop punk.
Complete Collapse is the band's first album since their 2019 release How It Feels To Be Lost, which received a very mixed reception. This should have been the learning curve for the band moving forward, the ultimatum, to either move fully into grittier hard-rock or continue to develop the sound they have become renowned for, but Complete Collapse shows this has not been the case.
It starts off as a show of complete commitment going head first into aggressive track ‘Tyrants’, which has all the raging passion it should considering the lyrics. In terms of musical talent, frontman Kellin Quinn’s vocals are as unique and enjoyable as they have always been. This paired with the guitar riffs that make Sleeping With Sirens songs recognisable, inflict a stunning sense of nostalgia, especially with tracks like ‘Grave’ and ‘Family Tree’ both in melody and lyrics.
Disregarding the sound, Complete Collapse feels as though it lacks substance. When talking about the album, frontman Quinn explained, “We’re realizing now that our voice, and what we’re able to say or should say, needs to come through the music”. The album is also described as cutting ‘straight to the bone’ however it doesn’t feel as though it’s clear what explicitly the band are trying to convey.
There are four features on the album which feels like creative evolution from the band as they have never had this many on one piece of work. The tracks with talented female vocalists Charlotte Sands and Dorothy are highlights. When paired with Kellin’s vocals, it feels like a new and exciting element you can only hope will continue on.
The album finishes with the only slow, ambient acoustic track on there and it feels bittersweet. It is a vulnerable track which to me is so reminiscent of the ‘Scene Two: Roger Rabbit’ days, and shows how good Sleeping With Sirens can be at storytelling. ‘Mr Nice Guy’ and ‘Family Tree’ are also highlights, with the latter featuring lyrical references to ‘A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son’ from their 2011 album, Let’s Cheers To This.
There is a magnitude of pressure put on bands who are producing music for a long period of time and it’s a double edged sword. You get criticized harshly for staying the same but equally as harsh if you do something new that deviates from your norm, you can’t do right for doing wrong and I think this is the vacuum that Sleeping With Sirens finds themselves in.
Taylor Duffy
★★★☆☆