AMG Review of Sleeping People

Wade Kergan
All Music Guide

Sleeping People are an instrumental rock unit from San Diego, CA, bent on breaking down the wall between math rock and its older sibling, progressive rock. They're still firmly in the indie camp of math rock but fans of Don Cabellaro, Sweep the Leg Johnny, or Rumah Sakit (whose Kenseth Thibideau plays here as well) will hear both the post-punk tradition that Sleeping People continue and the envelope-pushing they offer as well. Knotty, circular guitar lines work their way upward into a shimmering open chord plateau on "Blue Fly Green Fly"; tight guitars are pitted against an equally tense rhythm section for a nonstop race to the finish line on "Nasty Portion." It's quality playing throughout with lots of tricky stops, turns, and intersecting lines, but Sleeping People really wake up (sorry) and shine when they break the six-minute mark on "Technically You..." and "Fripp for Girls," indulging themselves like a prog rock band should and allowing the dexterous playing going on here proper room to breathe.