By: Victor Van Ommen
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 24/02/2017
Label: New West Records
There’s a lot going on and much of the album will surprise those
expecting a one-to-one follow up to “Dying Surfer Meets his Maker.” If you get it, “Sleeping through the War” is
an album that will continue to grow.
“Sleeping through the War” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). Bulls
2). Don’t Bring Me Coffee
3). Bruce Lee
4). 3-5-7
5). Am I Going Up?
6). Alabaster
7). Cowboy Kirk
8). Internet
The Review:
What a strange trip All Them Witches has been on.
Their debut album, “Our Mother Electricity” is a classic stoner blues album but
done in such a way that it found backing by Elektrohasch Records. You know,
the same place that puts out all of the Colour Haze albums. ATW’s follow up, “Lightning
at the Door” put the band on an independent mission to find more depth
in their sound. This they did, and when their 2015 follow up “Dying
Surfer Meets his Maker” was announced, we were all sure that the ’Witches
were going to own this stoner-blues thing. Own it they did, though not in any
sort of way that their fans were expecting. First off, they were signed to country-rock
power house New
West Records and secondly, they released an album that lacked focus
but made up for it in spades with vibe. If the band’s schedule from the past
two years – as well as my humble opinion - is anything to go by, this approach
worked very, very well for them.
Just a few days ago, All Them Witches released their
new album, “Sleeping through the War.” Anticipation is high on this one
and with good reason. The question is, what will the band do now?
A jolty mix of the All Them Witches sonic palette
opens up the album. A strange introduction, to say the least. Opener “Bulls”
is as dreamy as it is riffy, almost forcibly playing the one off of the
other. The song’s back half flies off the handle with a sturdy working of the
keyboard which, admittedly, might take some getting used to. “Don’t
Bring Me Coffee” follows “Bulls” as a rugged guitar rocker
underscored by a slight cowboy theme.
At this point, the questions rising to the surface are
- where are the jams? Where is the experimentation? Where is the band that made
“Dying
Surfer Meets His Maker”?
Just as “Dying Surfer Meets His Maker” jumped
around in its opening three tracks, as does “Sleeping through the War.”
So the sturdy “Bulls” or the catchy “Don’t Bring Me Coffee” shouldn’t
scare anyone off because these two tracks don’t necessarily set the album’s
tone. In fact, “Don’t Bring Me Coffee” may be a reference to the closing track
on Can’s
seminal album “Tago Mago.” And though the Can influence is not felt in
this particular song, “Sleeping through the War”’s B-Side
certainly shows how All Them Witches have been influenced by Can.
Before the Can influence is heard, though, All Them
Witches jump on another riff rocker, “Bruce Lee.” The song
rolls nicely – that’ll be a riff you’ll hear in a live setting a lot –
and it complements the follow up “3-5-7-“accordingly. Here, All Them
Witches focus on the loud-soft dynamic and in doing so, set the
stage for a 20 minute live version of this song. To wit, it’s “3-5-7”
that straddles Side A and Side B and therefore serves as the pivot point in the
album’s sound.
Without ruining too many surprises, the following four
songs can be lumped together as a 20 minute high. The subtleties in these songs
make for a laid back vibe that reminds a bit of “Open Passageways” from
the band’s 2015 outing. The Can influence is more apparent and the
listening experience seems to be a logical next step for All Them Witches. The songs here
- “Am I Going Up,” “Alabaster,” “Cowboy Kirk,” and the back porch blues of “Guess
I’ll Go Live on the Internet” - are rhythmically groovy and
structurally free, a combination only All Them Witches can pull off without coming
across as just another jam band.
With “Sleeping through the War,” All Them Witches have given us an album that’s
more diverse than anything they’ve done until now. Though the variety on offer
here detracts slightly from the album’s flow, these songs are ripe for analysis
and repeated listens. There’s a lot going on and much of the album will
surprise those expecting a one-to-one follow up to “Dying Surfer Meets his Maker.”
If you get it, “Sleeping through the War” is an
album that will continue to grow. For those who aren’t immediately hooked, this
album might be ignored. Only time will tell which of these two groups will be
the loudest. In the meantime, All Them Witches seem happy doing what it is
they want to do. Their energy is felt in these tunes so it’s obvious the band
has made the album they wanted to make.
“Sleeping through the War” is available here
