Sometimes, press releases are interesting things. The press release for They Will Find You Here notes that “Sleepy Vikings has previously and unsuccessfully described its sound as ‘southern shoegaze.’” The shoegaze is there, almost. The southern isn’t noticeable at all. Hailing from Florida, Sleepy Vikings’ tend more towards introspective indie pop, but the songs do swirl in a way that could be called shoegaze. Whatever you want to call it, it’s great stuff. These songs are fascinating lyrically, and they get better with each listen.
The album starts great with a simple guitar line. The song “These days” starts quickly and the vocals emote: “times are getting tough.” It sets the stage for the rest of the album. It features a lot of meandering guitars, and male/female vocals.
The second song, “Calm” is a fantastic breakup song: “It’s over and I’m not sad anymore. I don’t remember what feeling sad was for.” Then a fantastic refrain: “calm down my head.” The song moves along, and ends right on time. It might be tempting to draw these things out, but Sleepy Vikings have a very strong pop sensibility.
The best thing here, “Dear Long Distance” comes near the end of the album. It builds slowly, and the lyrics are fascinating: “being free felt a lot like being scared, so I guess I was chased. And I’m not going back to the place I left for dead again.” The song seems to be about escaping youth. It’s complex, and seems designed for repeat listening.
Sleepy Vikings play a style of music that is difficult to pull off well, and they do pull it off. This album is absolutely fantastic, and is highly recommended.
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