Small Leaks Sink Ships - Until the World Is Happy, Wake Up You Sleepyhead Sun

Until the World Is Happy, Wake Up You Sleepyhead Sun, to me, sounds like the result of young kids who spent the later (though recent) part of adolescence poring over issue after issue of Alternative Press. Small Leaks Sink Ships are part of that new cream of rock that’s informed by Minus the Bear and At the Drive-In; it’s technically proficient, vaguely progressive rock, and is too youthful to be pretentious in the slightest. Dual, yelped vocals, Explosions In the Sky-esque guitars and lots of rhythm changes are omnipresent, and the band’s enthusiasm makes the record worth a few spins. But at the same time, Small Leaks Sink Ships doesn't seem to have much of a grasp on which direction to pursue, throwing too many things into the kettle and coming out not so much a muddle, but dulled-down. It’s likely a case of youth and over-eagerness, but Until the World Is Happy, Wake Up You Sleepyhead could be taken in more easily by dissecting the bands it pulls from and listening to those records instead. [www.nosleeprecs.com]