REVIEW: Good Sleepy Release Their Propulsive Single "Make Pretend" Amongst EP Announcement
Ahead of the release of their upcoming EP, Massachusetts band Good Sleepy released their first single “Make Pretend”. The track is a propulsive, multifaceted ode to recognizing one’s own worth and moving on. With help from L St. Germain, of Anklebiters, Good Sleepy put forward a thoughtful and relatable song that pulls from emo’s best tastes.
Mirroring the racing of a mind on the mend from a soured relationship, “Make Pretend” moves through modes. Classic emo instrumentation changes throughout the track from forthright to wistful to aggressive. The track opens with the vocalist chiming “Wake up, shake off this makeup/because I don’t want to pretend”, fatigue ever present from the pressure to conform to the wants or demands of another. The band drives with full chords until breaking to a watery solace with St. Germain’s dreamy delivery as they sing “If it’s not this, it’s something better/If it’s not here, it could be anywhere else”.
The pensiveness follows a clear path from the previous section’s disillusionment. What follows next is resolve. The band jumps into a bouncy riff breaking from the dream state to clear eyed intent. Lethargy and mindfulness aside, the narrator is now assured, “I’ve been hoping I can rise above to tell you/I think I’d be better off with anybody else”. The bounce provided by the instrumental adds a joyousness to this realization, animating the narrator’s self that was buried along the way.
On their new track, Good Sleepy continue to step up their songwriting. Concisely, they speak on the process of finding oneself again as necessary and ultimately celebratory. The music phases through motifs while sticking to classic emo textures in a way that is engaging and familiar. With their first single, Good Sleepy prepared for an exciting full release.
