“Sleepwalkers”
Brian Fallon
Island Records
Producer: Ted Hutt
Tracks: 12
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
Gaslight Anthem front man Brian Fallon is back with a brand new solo album titled “Sleepwalkers”. The twelve track album is being released via Island Records as was produced by Ted Hutt. As the follow up to Fallon’s 2016 solo debut “Painkillers”, “Sleepwalkers” continues on with the front mans raspy, old timey style long time fans have come to love.
Two parts Dylan and two parts Springsteen is how I like to best describe Brian Fallon’s music. “Sleepwalkers” fits that description perfectly as the albums twelve tracks blend the singer/songwriters love of folk and rock into one unique package. Much like Fallon’s previous works “Sleepwalkers” paints a lyrical picture of classic Americana elements as tracks like “Forget Me Not” and “Neptune” talk about lost love and missed opportunity while being sung against robust, upbeat instrumentation while, tracks like “Etta James” and “See You on the Other Side” feature a more scaled back folk like style which nicely showcases Fallon’s vocal style. Probably my favorite track off the album was the Clash esque “Come Wander with Me” which comes complete with a quasi reggae beat, a catchy chorus and, a line taken from the Clash’s song “Bank Robber” acting as the cherry on top of a proverbial music sundae.
“Sleepwalkers” might not be as strong of a release as its predecessor or when compared to some of Fallon’s previous other works however, the album certainly shows progression. As an artist Brian Fallon is not afraid to brave new ground or try things out of his comfort zone and his latest release is a testament to that. If you are looking for a nice mixture of poppy infused rock with classic folk elements then “Sleepwalkers” is the album for you.
Track Listing:
1.) If Your Prayers Don’t Get to Heaven
2.) Forget Me Not
3.) Come Wander with Me
4.) Etta James
5.) Her Majesty’s Service
6.) Proof of Life
7.) Little Nightmares
8.) Sleepwalkers
9.) My Name Is the Night (Color Me Black)
10.) Neptune
11.) Watson
12.) See You on the Other Side
