Album Review:
By Jacob Heacock
S
eepeopleS is singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist
Will Bradford’s longtime independent cult alt-rock project.
The band is self-described as
anti-genre and their fifth album
Dead Souls Session (RascalZRecordZ), released July 2015, is
two discs of undeniably creative
original music. The album was
co-produced, mixed and mastered
by Will Holland (Pixies, Dead Can
Dance) at Chillhouse Studios.
The first disc of Dead Souls
Session, has a very mellow sound
with thought provoking lyrics
and is unlike mainstream music.
SeepeopleS’ sound is formed from
a variety of instruments such as
drums, synths, cello, saxophone
and nearly everything in between. They sound similar to the
British band Metronomy and the
American psychedelic rock band
MGMT. Personal favorites of the
first disc are “Fall in Rome” and
“Holy Ghost Charter Song.” Both
tracks really stand out but that’s
not saying the others on the album are forgettable.
“Conifers of China” is another
track that uses cultural music as a
backdrop to mix with the melody.
Art is subjective, so let the tracks
July• 2015
SeepeopleS
Dead Souls Session
envelop you and speak their own
language. Let your experiences
create your opinions.
“Test Lake Baby 4” or “The
Island” or “Used” may hit you
hard. The two discs are a refreshing change of pace in the music
industry. Will SeepeopleS be on
MTV? No, because MTV doesn’t
play music anymore but they are
on YouTube and Instagram and
all over. They are easy to find and
you can listen to their older works
on Spotify for free. On YouTube,
fans have posted videos from live
shows but the band does not have
a live album.
But wait, there’s more - a whole
other disc chock full of more music that keeps your toes tapping
and head bobbing while you sing
along. “Sight for Sore Eyes” and
“Second Worst Person in the
World” are my personal favorites
of the second disc. Other notable
tracks are “Wait By the River”
and “Hide and Seek.” I will be
listening to both of these discson
repeat. SeepeopleS has a new fan
after hearing their work.
Releasing a disc album is quite
a rarity these days. In 2013 the
band The 1975 released one as
well as Steppenwolf, but in most
cases a second disc is a DVD
with meager behind the scene
featurettes. This is not the case
of SeepeopleS and it is reminiscent of the double-disc that The
Smashing Pumpkins put out in
1995, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, where one discwas
daylight and the other represented nightlight.
SeepeopleS’ first few albums
were experimental but with more
of a rock twist, such as the album
The Corn Syrup Conspiracy. But
SeepeopleS have such a unique
sound that makes it hard to pin-
point it.The music can be cheery
while the lyrics aren’t saccharine
happy go lucky or everything is
wonderful. The words hit with
universal truths, while the upbeat
melody makes you smile.
Their fourth album Apocalypse
Cow Vol. II came out in 2011 and
the band went on a brief hiatus
after its release due to Bradford’s
struggle with drugs and eventual
recovery. SeepeopleS’ first album
For The Good of The Nation came
out in 2000.
Fifteen years of SeepeopleS
and the band currently doesn’t
have any shows planned but that
will change. They did have shows
this past spring at Port City Music Hall in Portland, ME and at
the Stone Church in Newmarket,
NH. The band was formed in Allston, MA and spent many years in
Asheville, NC. SeepeopleS’ is now
based out of Portland, ME. ■
cidermag.com • CIDER
MAG • 37