Sleeping Pulse – Under the Same Sky

Once in a while, an album comes out that changes your perception of what music as an art form can be. These are the albums that change music and change lives. The debut album from Sleeping Pulse is not one of them.

Not in the revolutionising way albums like The Downward Spiral, Dark Side of the Moon, Ænima, etc., are.

But Sleeping Pulse’s Under the Same Sky is an album of pure greatness from start to finish. Its approach and format are not revolutionary, but this is certainly an album that would make it into my top ten of the past decade (or even two decades) should I ever decide to make such a list.

Under the Same Sky is a collaboration between Mick Moss (Antimatter) and Luís Fazendeiro (Painted Black). And if you are familiar with those two bands, then you are likely not surprised by the approach on this album. On the other hand, while the overall elements do have similarities with the two bands, the result is an album that is far more than the sum of its parts. Something magical occurred on this album, and it’s basically clear after the first spin. It has this captivating and almost hypnotic quality to it, which is likely to leave you sitting there like a deer caught in the headlights.

There is a massive quality to the core songwriting and arrangements, but it’s in the way each of Under the Same Sky’s elements work together where the magic happens. And it’s what distinguishes a great record from a magical one. With each next spin of the record, its impact and qualities become more clear.

Many elements make this album so outstanding, but of course it all starts with the songs themselves. The music of Sleeping Pulse is fairly stripped-down and focuses on the very essence of the songs. And the songs are nothing short of phenomenal, both from the musical and emotional point of view. The depth of the music and lyrics is further strengthened by the performance, production, and – last but not least – the arrangements.

Under the Same Sky is one of those rare examples of art where every single aspect fits perfectly and lifts the entire experience that much more, all the way down to the tiniest detail.

In many ways, it’s hard to talk about all those amazing details and parts of this album, because they all work so well together – they all serve a purpose – and that’s one of the reasons this album is so strong. This album not only masters every single aspect of a musical release, but it also makes them work perfectly together, never battling for attention but rather supporting each other.

The limited edition of this CD comes with five songs from acoustic sessions, and what you get is not what most other artists do – basically playing their songs accompanied by an acoustic guitar. These versions are beautifully rearranged and give the songs more than an interesting twist; they give them new life. Hopefully, the duo will release acoustic versions of the rest of the songs as well, even if only digitally.

Under the Same Sky is a piece of art that doesn’t come by very often. Do yourself a favour and buy a copy of it, and once you receive it, make sure to listen to it on fine loudspeakers or some quality headphones. Make sure you are not disturbed by anything or anyone, and surrender to its beauty.

Hopefully, this won’t be one of those one-off projects, because one can’t help but wonder what else these two gentlemen are capable of together.

www.sleepingpulse.com