Sleeping Policeman - The Bride in the Wilderness

Sleeping Policeman

The Bride in the Wilderness
self-released; 2017

3.8 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Are you familiar with the Book of Job? You should be but if you aren’t I suggest doing a quick Google search before listening to the new album The Bride in the Wilderness by Sleeping Policeman because that is what the album story is about. The band consists of Charles Grace (guitar/vocals), Devin Primrose (bass/vocals) and  Peter Straus (drums/vocals).

The music is pretty sparse overall. I would even say on some songs it veers towards atmospheric. Up first is “Naked I Came” which revolves around a reverb-laced guitar, a couple of drones and shimmering cymbals. At the center are the vocals. It felt like a bit of an intro. 

The energy picks up with “Donor of Seeds.” There is still a lot of space but the song does do some certified rocking. On top of that there are some notable transitions which effectively change the feel of the song. As a shout to the drummer I loved the hi-hat work before the three- minute mark. The guitar solo wasn't too shabby either.

“Eyes of Flesh” was another substantial song. The vocals reminded me a bit of James Maynard which I wasn’t expecting but something between the lyrics and serious inflection struck me. 

“Hope For A Tree” is under two minutes and is mostly atmosphere that supports his vocals. It's not the most dynamic song on the album but it was a good move. “The Wilderness” is arguably the catchiest song on the album. I enjoyed the chorus right off the bat. “Dust & Ashes” contains some great guitar work while “August Fisherman” contains some ethereal beauty especially toward the end which bears comparisons to Bon Iver.

“Repentance” rocks harder than anything that came before it but “Wounded Healer” was a little catchier. “Wounded Healer” also had a light feel to it which was a nice way to end it considering how heavy the themes are. 

The production is top notch. I have no complaints in this department. It wasn’t overproduced and it still felt like a band playing in a room.

​Overall, this a great album. It’s fluid yet diverse and has connected themes and word play. Recommended.

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