Curtains For You "After Nights Without Sleep"

This hard working Seattle band really impressed me a few years ago and now they’ve returned with a new LP. They lean less on those classic pop influences here and are forging their own unique sound.  The solid hook and strong riffs on “What Good Am I to You Now?” makes it an early favorite single. Then, “The Great War” has layered dual vocals done to perfect effect, and restless energy drives home the battle charge (“across the hillside, over the water…”).

“Cold Wind” is another gem thick with multiple rhythms and hooks about fear of losing friends and “we’re not better left alone.” On a lighter note “Eggs Over Toast” sprints ahead with several shifts in melody like Elvis Costello with ADD, it’s exactly what songwriting with no sleep should sound like! “The Wasteland” is another lush pop composition, as if they channelled Elton John into making a sequel to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The remaining tracks are pretty compelling, but in rare cases (“The Day I Stole Your Car”) those duel vocals seem to be more in competition with the instrumentation. And in an effort to keep true to the theme of the album concept, it can feel overwrought in spots.That said the songwriting here is stronger, ideas bigger, and it overflows with authenticity.

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