Electric President’s self-titled affair was one of my favorite albums of 2006. Sleep Well is the follow up and it is a completely different beast. On their debut, the young Florida duo of Ben Cooper and Alex Kane were mining more upbeat/accessible waters akin to The Postal Service. Sleep Well chooses to follow the more ghostly, expansive sounds of Cooper’s other project, Radical Face. It all makes sense though as Sleep Well is Cooper’s all-encompassing exploration of dreams and/or nightmares. Because of that theme, the album has a tendency to float or drift by as Cooper shares his eccentric tales. As with all of Cooper’s projects there is an obvious kindred spirit with Jason Lytle and the work of Grandaddy. They both have such a free-flowing nature to their sounds, it’s hard to not draw the comparison. Unlike Electric President’s self-titled debut, Sleep Well takes quite a few more listens to nuzzle up to you. While it lacks the dynamic, emotional moments of its predecessor, Sleep Well accomplishes moving the duo beyond many of those Postal Service comparisons. The album is a perfect example of Electric President’s expansive scope and growing artistry.
Genre: Indie/Pop
RIYL: Sparklehorse, Grandaddy, Pinback
Label: Morr Music
We Will Walk Through Walls
