Sløtface - AWAKE / ASLEEP

Ripping it up and starting again is an overwhelming idea in any instance, so when Sløtface’s Haley Shea was faced with being the only remaining member of the band during what had already been a tumultuous time, it might have been an easier option to decide to record under her own name as opposed to that with a history and established sound. Fortunately, part of the Norwegian outfit’s familiarity comes with her vocal delivery - so while the sonic choices made alongside what is now a rolling cast of collaborators are somewhat different, it’s not a complete 180-degree shift. Split into two halves - the ‘AWAKE’ and ‘ASLEEP’ the title suggests - the first half owes much to Jack Antonoff’s style: a softer sound from Sløtface, sure, but it is easy to imagine the likes of Lorde delivering ‘Beta’, or ‘Come Hell or Whatever’, with their familiar chord changes. ‘Cowboys in the Dark’ is perhaps the closest to ‘old’ Sløtface, just a little janglier, while ‘Nose’ is the complete opposite, even Haley’s voice sounding so different from previous releases. The winner here, though, is definitely ‘HAPPY’, while production choices may have it coming across a little muted, there’s no way it won’t be a future live favourite with its infectious chorus and ultimately hopeful refrain.