Admittedly, the first reaction to Waxeater’s Sleeper is, “Is that Anne Frank and a winged octopus on the cover?” Indeed, it is, and it gets weirder as you go inside. The second reaction is, “Jesus, this guitar tone and recording needs work.”
But believe it or not, it’s the attitude that wins over the listener to Sleeper, the debut full-length from a down-and-dirty Bloomington, IN, trio that pen songs like “Are Those Fucking Beers Ice Cold Yet?,” “Wamliness Is A Happy Gun (Et Tu Brut?)” and “Glen Vansick.” Hardcore punk in a lo-fi, almost stoner style if it weren’t so bitter about women and lethargically anti-capitalist, the feel is far more important than the chops, which really aren’t there.
That’s alright though, if you’re into that kind of thing. And while maybe it’s not worth plunking down the hard-earned unemployment check for Sleeper in recessionomics, I’d check them out in a garage. If it wasn’t in Indiana, anyway.
In A Word: Octoband
