Artificial Language 'Now We Sleep' Review

Updated: Dec 26, 2019

A review of the new Artificial Language album ‘Now We Sleep’ which will be released on May 17th 2019

Artificial Language are a California based prog band, driven by intricate melodies and riffs (which is shown perfectly in their debut album ‘The Observer’). However, while still maintaining their trademark sound, ‘Now We Sleep’ certainly shows more experimentation and development for individual songs. Their sophomore album proves they are not afraid to show off a heavier side, and also sees the band being less driven by technical solos and noodling passages, but instead tending to the flow of the song, and putting thought into every single note, making the music seem more fluid and natural. And while they still stay true to their sound, the approach for their new album is less ‘math’ more ‘physics’.

The first song ‘The Back of My Mind’ has a brilliant atmospheric build which really amplifies the tension for the album even as you’re listening to it. This scenic, atmospheric tone abruptly turns into a villainous, gothic passage, which is carried subtly throughout the rest of the song with threatening guitar work. It really packs a punch, announcing the album’s arrival. It’s actually quite unsettling because of how contrasting the build was, but the darkness slowly turns to a melodic progression, leading us into the main body of ‘The Back of My Mind’. This song feels really emotional, which is odd because it doesn’t sound like the kind of song that would be too emotionally moving for someone. However, I went into this album knowing the narrative, and so picking up on the lyrics, in combination with the heart-wrenching execution of the vocals, it felt like this song represented a cry for help. It provides a perfect intro to the album, and manages to swing from energetic to serene and melodic in a sublime way - it feels bipolar because of this, an effect that is achieved amazingly, and really leaves you feeling torn by the end of the song. Overall, the jarring tone really disorientates you, but the melodic drives and passionate vocals offer stability and ‘calm’ in the storm.

‘Endless Naught’ is the second track and offers a more secure structure after the whirlwind of track one. It’s catchy, short and sweet. The chorus in particular is a total head-banger and feels exciting to listen to every time. Despite having a more simple approach in comparison to ‘The Back of My Mind’, track two manages to show off Artificial Language’s technical intricacies with amazing solos and beautiful piano work from Jonathon. Overall, ‘Endless Naught’ is an instant classic in Artificial Language’s discography.

‘Pulses’ goes under the disguise of a gentle piano intro that brought Geneva’s ‘Tranquillizer’ to my mind. So you can imagine my surprise when instead of a Britpop song I found myself in the middle of a quicker paced interlude that felt similar to track one in the sense it was quite bipolar. Pulses isn’t as heavy as the two previous songs, or as chaotic, so it gives you a chance to catch a breath of fresh air and appreciate some lighter harmonies and riffs. The song has some nice repetition that feels comforting; it ends as softly as it began, with Jonathon and Shay teaming up to put you in a fragile mood.

One thing that really hit me as I was listening to this album on repeat was that all the guys in Artificial Language are playing with who they are meant to be playing and writing with. They’re all a perfect fit for each other; although they are individually incredibly talented, the band as a whole feels like one organism at all times. Perfect synchronicity - without one member, the whole thing would be different. I always talk about these perfect moments of songs where everything works together, every instrument has room to breathe, it’s all coming together so well and playing in absolute harmony. Artificial Language has this in songs more often than not, giving the album no true weak point.

‘Further From the Surface’ is a stunning and immersive song. Shay does such an amazing job here, with the vocals being so moving. While it doesn’t sound soft, it does feel like a gentle embrace and features a brilliant guitar solo that echos Shay’s vox from the first part of the song. ‘Further From the Surface’ brings several things to mind: self-pity, doubt, and loneliness. To me, it represents the breaking point of the album, reflecting someone at their lowest (or at their furthest from the surface).

Jonathon opens ‘The Wild Haunt’ with an enticing and theatrical intro which gives you a chance to recharge after the previous heart-breaker. This song is astounding, especially when following ‘Further From the Surface’ directly - after the breaking point, this song shows a gasp for air, turning everywhere for help but finding none. The rainy mood it gives off gets more powerful as the song goes on and the theatrical vibe is conveyed several times throughout ‘The Wild Haunt’ making it a true stand out song on the album.

‘Trail of Lights’ has an interesting carnival sound to it, and also has some theatrical elements similar to ‘The Wild Haunt’. The guitar melodies lead this song to a top spot on the album, and it feels like a summary of everything we’ve heard so far, with the different elements that it features (theatrical, dark riffs, melodies and emotional vocals). It has my favourite guitar solo on the album which leads into a beautiful duet between harrowing guitars and vocals. The song ends on a sudden, darker tone, leaving you in anticipation for the last three tracks.

I was actually surprised when first listening to ‘There’s no Bottom to This’ - expecting it to be a really dark one following ‘Trail of Lights’, I was met with quite a fast-paced song that really really sounds like something Leprous would write (although this track seems to have a few bits that Leprous might not feature, like a fun carnival solo on keys). The final part of this song feels like the end of a film, it’s so cinematic with the way it fades out. I was disappointed when it ended because I would have preferred it to go on and explore more of the experimental things that give the album its edge. All in all, it’s a great song - so good in a fact I didn’t want it to end.

‘Keep Yourself Hidden’ fulfils what I wanted from the ‘There’s no Bottom to This’. It actually feels like part two of ‘There’s no Bottom to This’ as it incorporates some of the fun carnival-esque bits that the second half of the album had teased a little bit. ‘Keep Yourself Hidden’ is my favourite song on the album, it feels like the best direction for Artificial Language as they take cinematic and theatrical to the next level. The diversity of this song is what makes it noticeable for me, and a definite landmark in Artificial Language’s discography.

‘Now We Sleep’ is an epic finale, leading us in with a tense build. It marks the end of the journey, and does it in such an effective way. It truly feels like the last proverbial fight between the antagonist and protagonist. The song manages to feel like a 15 minute epic and yet it condenses it into 7 minutes, and still feels like an expansive. The finale feels very cathartic and emotional taxing, pulling right on the heartstrings with every note - going from soft and delicate to heavy and dark with not a care, it’s much the same as the first song in the sense that it feels like a whirlwind at times. One of the most memorable parts is towards the end there is an immersive synth melody that is done so well. We actually get taken back to ‘The Back of My Mind’ for the last minute or so, giving the whole album a cyclical structure, bringing us full circle back to the beginning.

Overall, ‘Now We Sleep’ is definitely a step in the right direction for Artificial Language, it includes some great experimentation that pushes the band’s musical boundaries further than the already highly-appraised ‘The Observer’. The guys have really outdone themselves on this release, with trademark solos and riffs putting the Art Lang seal on each song. The sound production is amazing as well, which plays a great role when listening to the second half of the album which has a more cinematic vibe to it. I would give this album an 8/10, mainly because I want more of the ‘newer’ elements that they managed to squeeze in towards the second half of the album. This being said, the album is a massive step in an amazing direction for them, and you have to walk before you...include more carnival music? Thanks for reading!

- James Carstairs