Awake Sleeper
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The debut album for the NYC resident Amy Jay, Awake Sleeper blends acoustic and synthetic sounds into a sonically unpredictable and highly introspective brand of song craft.
Jay starts the listen with the soft, atmospheric “Lucid Dreaming”, where hypnotic keys and gentle singing guide the lush, pop friendly climate that builds into a surreal, haunting delivery, and “Reliance” follows with an ambient dreaminess that’s minimal in gorgeous ways as Jay gets quite introspective amid some indie-folk ideas.
“Inner Critic” occupies the middle spot and uses guitar from Chris Parker strategically as Jay sings with a soulful quality in a warm haze, while “Monster” displays Jay’s impressive range alongside playful synthetic sounds in an emotive, almost spiritual fashion.
“Remember” and “Self-Deprecation” exit the listen, where the former pairs calm keys with Jay’s sublime vocals on the album highlight, and the latter finishes the listen with subtle strings complementing the mature vocals and somber landscape.
Jay’s first album is a striking one that balances bare and rich moments with a melancholic quality that touches on classical, electronica and post-rock, essentially breathing new life into the indie-folk realm.
Travels well with: Single Girl, Married Girl- Three Generations Of Leaving; Sweetlove- Goodnight, Lover