FM Belfast’s Don’t Want To Sleep is charged with electronic beats that sets an overall elated tone. “Stripes” starts with a fast-paced piano that reappears later in the track along with some kung fu sound effects. Starting in a similar fashion, “American” plays with the same piano but it’s used at a much slower pace. However, it still adds to the number making it one of the catchier songs on the release. Contrasting the previous two tunes, “Believe” has more of an electric rock sound to it whereas “Mondays” has a mellower feel. “We Fall” brings back that eclectic feel that the first couple of tracks had, but what did it for me was the vocals.
As far as the sound is concerned “Noise” reminds me of Shiny Toy Guns and Metric. “I Don’t Want To Go To Sleep Either” shakes things up a bit with a loud chorus and includes voices of cartoon characters singing the name of the song. “Vertigo” didn’t really stand out to me as much as the rest of the album, but it doesn’t ruin it. It seems to lack the zest that the other pieces have. The vocal style and the beat of “In Line” made me think I was listening to a Depeche Mode song. Finally, “New Year” and “Happy Winter” brings Don’t Want To Sleep to a close on a gloomy note. However, it seems necessary to have such cuts on the release to bring it full circle. Despite the grim feel, the listener isn’t left with a sour taste in their mouth because of it.
In A Word: Irelectric
