Hear me out: The Receiving End Of Sirens and Alexisonfire are the flip side of the same coin. Really! If you integrate Dallas Green’s City And Colour project and Casey Crescenzo’s The Dear Hunter into the equation you’d have a fully realized Post-something kind of outfit that’d dominate the upper half of North America. Which brings us to Boston’s Mission To Sleep who, if we’re going by our logic, would sit nicely in the eye of this majestic musical storm playing their brand of emotive Post-Rawk dreaminess that’s lush, loud, and in need of your earholes.
But I digress.
On their debut EP Post Youth, the Boston quartet manage to navigate those tricky “Post” and “Core” waters to create something that’s truly a neat amalgamation of those broad sub genres. “Sunday Best” is filled with soaring harmonies from Rob Wu, driving percussive blasts from both Justin Viveiros’ bass rumble and Jon DeSousa’s drumming, and wailing guitar riffs from Jeff Kuznezov and Wu that make for an interesting dichotomy and immediately sets a tone of being both badass and beautiful. Then there’s these subtle complexities (Like the way these Nate Newton-esque screams slink in toward track’s end) that take everything to the next level. And that’s just the beginning.
“April Doom” is a bass-driven lumbering Post-something that brings to mind a lot of those previously mentioned artists for this driving ditty that utilizes Viveiros’ bass uniquely by playing off Wu’s broad vocal passages as DeSousa attacks with the staccato strokes. “If I Could” is epic yet heartfelt and the one you’re going to want to pull your lighters out for! Starting with a piano line that’s almost akin to some sort of childlike lullaby with Wu’s quiet vocals accompanying, the track swells toward a magnificent finale that’s capped by a sweeping string section. “Into Thin Air” is a similarly epic anthem to finish the EP as a rollicking performance from DeSousa, a rousing bass hum from Viveiros, and Wu’s moving vocals alongside his sweeping guitar lines with Kuznezov provide a fitting end to a fantastic debut.
Post Youth arrives on March 25th. Pre-order your very own copy now by heading to all the pertinent links conveniently located together here. And for the latest on Mission To Sleep, follow them across ye olde social media sites by clicking here or here.