2*Sweet – Sleep Without Dreams

It’s probably for the best that Chicago alternative/punk band 2*Sweet made Sleep Without Dreams their final release before calling it a day.  For their swan song, the band seems to have been looking to re-invent their sound by adding a danceable doom-pop flare to their already somewhat crazy, circus-like combination of theatrics and big riffs.  As it turns out though, in doing so, they’ve sacrificed much of their rough edge and jumped whole-heartedly into the copycat territory of The Black Parade era My Chemical Romance.  Not being as fully committed to the insanity as their influences, Sleep Without Dreamscomes across flat.

Opening with “Dreamcatcher,” the band attempts a twinkling symphonic carnival only to have the atmosphere dissipate upon “Rested Eyes Tell No Lies’” arrival.  The latter just never escapes the band’s altogether ordinary guitar playing – a sentiment echoed in the super heavy riffs opening “What I Did On My Summer Vacation.”  Listeners are left unsure whether to jump or jam, especially with key vocalist Andy Nelson darting back and forth between alternative norm and a expressive pop-punk extreme reminiscent of the overly nasally headache that is Head Automatica.  Tracks like “Miss You” and “Bury Me In The Lovers Graveyard” have the dubious distinction of abandoning listeners at the half way point, leaving them to realize that the payoff just isn’t coming.

Disappointments aside, the undertaking isn’t without its merits.  In a few cases the group works within the confines of their limitations for some standout successes.  First up, the subtle country flare of “King Midas’ Desert” makes for an instantly catchy western infusion piece enhanced by the sheer swagger of the commanding lead of a host of stead guitar licks.  “Tarantula Perfume” overcomes its brief xylophone introduction with a welcome likeness to the smoky, club-noire feel of its vintage, Trophy Scars-like character.  And lastly, “Dateless For Armageddon” bookends the disc with their purest sense of rocked-up pop, complete with hard, hooky guitars and a tale of confronting the end of the world with nothing more than love.

Had 2*Sweet continued down their path of carnival pop-punk, I fear they would have lost all that helped them draw a crowd back in their early years.  A future of glossy overproduction and rewriting the same album year upon year, along with a couple of charitable guest dates on the Earnie Ball Stage at the Vans Warped Tour would have been career highlights that just wouldn’t have been worth sacrificing their integrity for.  Sleep Without Dreams seals 2*Sweet’s fate as a band having since faded into obscurity with little more said post-mortem than this less than favourable obituary.