[THE PROG MIND] Iress – Sleep Now, In Reverse
There are always a few albums that sneak into my consciousness at the end of the year which grab hold of me. Right when I’m trying to finalize year-end lists, I get a curveball. One of them this year is the new one from Iress called Sleep Now, In Reverse. I can’t seem to get enough of it right now.
Iress is based in Los Angeles. They’ve been around for over a decade at this point, but this is the first time I’ve heard of them. The lineup includes Michelle Malley on vocals, Michael Maldonado on bass, Glenn Chu on drums, and Graham Walker on guitar.
The band plays a cross between doomgaze and dream pop. Sometimes, they venture into alternative and doom metal territory, but most of the album is hovering space filled with atmospheric whispers, emotional vocals, and dim colors. I particularly like the sometimes gritty, sometimes smooth as silk vocals from Michelle, and the lumbering, purposeful, and calculated drumming from Glenn.
One thing I like about the way this band composes is how they punctuate their music well. Many of their songs are floaty and spacious but pronounced and driving moments filter in and out. It makes the music feel somewhat abstract, yet the band also knows how to write both nuanced and mega vocal hooks. So, this sometimes-abstract stream of consciousness takes shape with moments of clarity, and it all feels so hypnotic and addictive. To be sure, sometimes all of this can be nuanced, reveling in subtlety, but this hidden world opens up the more I listen.
Sleep Now, In Reverse has ten songs and runs about 50 minutes. I’ll admit that the first half is my favorite, though the whole album is great. I adore the opener “Falling” with its convincingly emotional chorus and impressive stage presence, so to speak. “Ever Under” follows and is just as good; I absolutely love the chorus, but instead of being repeated ad nauseum, we only hear it a couple times amidst the foggy ambience and color of the rest of the song. “Mercy” comes next and is a hazy piece with some beautifully pining moments I savor.
My favorites on the album are right in the middle, “Leviathan (The Fog)” and “Lovely (Forget Me Not)”, and they aren’t that much alike. The former is reserved piece with lots of cymbal play, almost feeling like internal determination, or a steeling of the will. Yet, the latter is a drum-heavy, groovy song that is instantly lovable. Honestly, I love the way it grooves its way into the lush chorus and how melody seems to linger over the whole thing. It might be one of my favorite songs of the year.
The second half of the album has some real gems. I love the vocals on “The Remains”, a heavier track with lots of harmony and despair. “In Reverse” feels like a 90’s track to me, for some reason; it feels comfortable and familiar in all the right ways. “Knell Mera” is probably the heaviest track with its crunchy riffs, but it’s quite expansive and atmospheric, too. “Sanctuary” is mostly ambient at first; I love the spiritual color and emotion; it gets a little angsty and doomy near the end. The closer “Deep” is a short, muted piece with vulnerable vocals, and I think it ends the album very well.
Iress took me by surprise. I love their sound, and fans of Chelsea Wolfe, BleakHeart, Sylvaine, and other doomgaze artists should eat this up. Sleep Now, In Reverse isn’t necessarily innovative or overly technical, but the sheer passion and control of atmosphere the band displays has me sold.