The alias of Berkshire singer-songwriter Luke Roberts (with the occasional helper or two, including his sister), Hey, Sleeper showed with their EP 'The Sea' that simplicity can be the key to ensuring songs of this nature work well. Plastering other "folk"-type instruments all over those compositions would have ruined them. New EP 'Gone For Ten Fingers' is another exercise in simplicity. The five songs here were released this week, one each day, as a name-your-price download through Bandcamp, with the full set being completed on Friday. Put simply, if you liked the rawness and the intimate, home-made feel of 'The Sea' then this one's for you.
The thought of a bloke playing an acoustic guitar will have some people steering well clear right away, and it's true that they're not in short supply, but the style here is what saves the day. Lyrically songs like 'Done Deal' and 'Home #2' are very good, and not your usual boring lyrics regurgitated again, and really this applies to all of these tracks. The sheer straightforward, natural composition of 'Could You Just' is so much better for being left as it is and not embellished with superfluous instrumentation and production. It's a futile task trying to pick favourites as these tunes are equal. The bookends of 'Playing Cards' and 'Thomas & The Good Book' also show off those delightful lyrics and organic nature. It's a rarity to have recordings so naked that are as likeable as these.
Hey, Sleeper's website
Stream or buy the album
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