Sleep Cycle is a perfect concept album in my eyes. The album’s intention may not be a concept, but I discovered it at night and fully bought into the title. Clocking in at 14 minutes and 17 seconds over seven tracks, a seemingly significant numerical equation, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Listen to it closely, and you’ll feel a range of insomniatic emotions: the anxiety of sleepless nights, the high of self-medication, and the lull of perfect melodies relieving a restless mind that can’t slow down.
I don’t know if Sleep Cycle was born out of quarantine blues, but it’s the perfect companion for loneliness. It confronts the darkness (see the outro on “ALONE”). But it also reminds you of the random bliss this twisted life offers when we least expect it. Sleep Cycle is a friend, something any worthy piece of music hopes to achieve. God bless the sleep cycle. Let’s jump in.
The numbing sound of a passing train sets the tone for our dream state. Drowsy synths trudge along as a body sits slumped against the wet glass of a subway car. Half-awake and half-asleep as the blurry city lights rush by — exhausted.
We exit the train to the urban bounce of “GARDEN 2.” There’s no time for sleep right now. Mundane errands pull us out of the apartment, out of our world. A chorus repeats, “days go by, it’s all in my head,” a manic groove that tells us to “enjoy what we can.” It’s all fleeting; so much is out of our control. We might as well have joy when it surfaces — smell the roses if you will.
“NO SWORD” finds us drifting off, preparing for REM sleep.
Slipping out of consciousness, we find ourselves at peace for the first time. Did we finally fall asleep? Is this a lucid dream? No matter. It feels good to be free, even if for one hour. A reminder that there’s also peace in solitude. Too bad it never lasts long. “ALONE” soon blankets our minds with the dread of isolation. As the song comes to a close, cycling riffs plunge us into a bottomless pit of doubt and regret. Is this what being pulled out of a dream feels like to our brain?
It’s painful. But it’s over quick. “BLEACH” is a total whitewash, another rebirth. Remember when we were kids, and nothing was serious? “BLEACH” is a nostalgic lullaby backed by a playful marimba.
Maybe the first thing that teaches us pain in life is love. “YOU” is that person always in the back of your mind. Maybe the person changes. But they’re always there. A personal savior? Or is it us daydreaming of rescuing someone else? Romantic wishes. R&B grooves. These have always had a euphoric quality, not unlike our best dreams.
The alarm sounds and we wake up. The cycle ends as a new day greets us. Life ebbs and flows; time heals all when we stay grateful. “EH” is a reminder to shrug off the small stuff.
Sleep Cycle may have felt like a complete 8-hour night, but it was really just the best 14 minutes and 17 seconds of your day. Now, don’t you feel rested?