Music Monday: Artist Spotlight – Sleep On It

Story posted October 31, 2016 in CommRadio by Allison Wulfhorst

There are so many great feelings in life, getting a good grade on that assignment you worked extremely hard on, meeting that person that just seems to get you and discovering a new band that leaves such a strong impact. Sleep On It is one of those bands. It is that feeling of listening to their single, liking it, checking out more of their stuff and eventually listening to their whole discography in one sitting. 

Sleep On It is a new pop punk band, formed only in 2013 in Chicago, IL. The band consists of vocalist Zech Pluister, guitarist and vocalist Jake Marquis, bassist AJ Khah, guitarist and vocalist, TJ Horansky, and drummer Luka Fischman. The boys have released three EPs, Everything, All At Once, Safe Again and most recently, Lost Along The Way. They signed with Equal Vision Records, the same as label bands like I the Mighty, and released Lost Along The Way through them.

Everything, All at Once:

Being that this is the band’s first EP, it isn’t perfect, but it is special. It has that feeling to it that they most likely recorded it on their own and because the love for song writing and creating music was there. Sleep On It definitely had some inspirations behind these songs along with some really catchy jams. One of those songs is “Everything, All At Once” the title track, the bridge shows off that catchy pop punk aspect that fans of the genre love. This EP is simple, raw and that’s effective. It works for them and there’s an appeal that will make listeners come back each time.

Recommended songs: “Cut Me Out,” “Everything, All At Once” and “Cope.”

Rating: 7.5/10

Safe Again:

With this EP, Sleep On It definitely improved on the quality of their recording. But the music is what matters and it has improved as well. The songs are still just as catchy and capture that pop punk feel that the band has going for them. There is a different feel to this EP, it’s more polished. It sounds like the band spent more time polishing how it sounds and that goes a long way. Their previous EP still sounded great, but this one sounds even better. Songs like “Bright” show off the genre better than all the songs on Everything, All At Once. It’s songs like that, that give a belief in newer bands. The determination to make good music is there and listeners can tell what they are aiming for.  

Recommended songs: “Bright,” “Talk Show” and “Memorial Day.”

Rating: 8/10

Lost Along the Way:

There is a notable difference in the sound of their previous EPs and this one. This could be because of a couple things; this is the first record they created under Equal Vision Records or because they got a new vocalist and created this EP with him. Either way, it sounds wonderful. Sleep On It were definitely doing things right with the two EPs before this one, but this one shines and stands out the most. It’s much neater, the recording sounds much better (after all they have a real studio now). But it’s not only that; Pluister’s voice as the new vocalist works well with the band. His voice seems to fit even more than his predecessor and having the right vocalist is such an important thing. Something as simple as that can change how a band sounds and is perceived. 

Recommended Songs: “See You Around,” “Unspoken,” and “Let Me Go.”

Rating: 8.5/10

 

Allison Wulfhorst is a freshman majoring in journalism. To contact her, email her at akw5392@psu.edu.