“One thing I like about reviewing records is that I can usually count on getting at least one really good sleeping record every time I get a package from the ol’ Foxy D headquarters. Not that I’m expecting a Stars Of The Lid album every time, but I usually end up with a gem on par with this one from Sleeping Me (Clayton McEvoy).

This album consists of 10 melodic, focused instrumental guitar pieces. There’s plenty of reverb and sweeping background effects, but this doesn’t feel like a mere “drone” record, the songs feel alive and breathing. As far as I can tell, all of the music (aside from some keyboard stabs on one track) was created solely by guitar, which makes the lush, oceanic feel all the more impressive. And yes, even though I already pegged this album as a record that sounds great while you’re trying to doze off, there’s really a lot going on if you pay attention.

You definitely won’t regret seeking this disc out, but if you want a quick taste, there’s a Sleeping Me EP release called “Lamenter” at archive.org for your listening pleasure. 8/10″

Foxy Digitalis

Excerpt: “superb debut disc… Moving from balladesque pieces that showcase McEvoy’s straightforward playing blended with a restrained electronic hand to deeply processed ambient washes where the guitar takes on a set of new identities… an easy, engaging listen that glides through this borderland and takes the listener along for the ride… you wait right along with him, and the next step always seems right… It’s artists like Sleeping Me, and his guitar-based stablemates, that keep me looking toward Hidden Shoal for intriguing new work. Cradlesongs is a Hypnagogue Highly Recommended CD.”

Hypnagogue

Excerpt (translated from the Italian): “The Australian label Hidden Shoal here confirms its cult reputation as a visionary in the discovery of new artists committed to exploring post-rock… Sleeping Me explores many nuances in the music, focusing on the subtle reflection and expansion of time… An excellent debut and a lovely new discovery in the vast constellation of instrumental acts, using melancholy and sensitivity without being overburdened with pathos.”

Ondarock

Excerpt: “At its best it has an elegance and poignancy that is really beautiful… ‘First Cell, First Love’ has a relentless tick-tocking guitar figure that gives it a sense of its own brief mortality… beautiful in its simplicity even if it’s relentlessly sombre. Final track ‘The Rattle In Our Throats’ has a sweeping, melancholic grandeur which never threatens to turn into bombast, but is almost enough to induce tears.”[sic]