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The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Team Sleep

Fans of the alternative rock band known as The Deftones have been waiting years for lead singer Chino Moreno’s side project to finally develop. Team Sleep is the self-titled album that has materialized. Being a major fan of The Deftones who owns all of their CD’s, I found it necessary to purchase whatever Chino had spent so much time on. I was not disappointed. It has been four years of anguish for The Deftones and other music fans looking to see a different side of Moreno. He reportedly finished the entire album for Team Sleep only to have the majority of it leaked onto the internet before it could be released. This greatly angered Moreno, who decided to delay the final release of the album and redo much of the music that was on it. Finally, the album which many people said would never be released, has come, and it was certainly worth the wait! Moreno created the album with the help of guest artists Mary Timony from Helium, Rob Crow from Pinback, DJ Crook and Zach Hill from Hella. None of these artists are nearly as recognizable as Moreno, who has sold millions of albums and won Grammy Awards with The Deftones, but they serve to create a consistent album from start to finish. Although Moreno and company employ some heavier rock here and there, the album is mainly composed of ambient and electronic cycles that set you at ease. It’s an exceptionally “chill” album that can set the mood when you just want to sit back, relax, and take things in nice and slowly. In fact, this album is so serene that you could probably play it at a lower volume and dream to its mellow feel, although I can promise that you might wake up to regret missing some of the tracks. “Ever” is a seamless musical experience that combines Moreno’s pleasing vocals with an upbeat guitar. “Staring at the Queen” is an interesting song that begins with fuzzy electronic beats mixed with distorted guitar and eventually evolves into a more consistent guitar beat that will undoubtedly put you in a good mood. “Paris Arm” begins with a woman romantically uttering French with catchy drums in the background. These and the 12 other tracks on the album create an innovative album with an experimental premise that I have truly not heard anywhere else. That alone is reason enough to give this album a try in today’s musical world which appears to be regurgitating the same things that we heard last year and the year before. The greatest accomplishment of this CD is how Moreno has proven that he is not just another alternative screaming rocker, but a melodic and subtle singer who can soothe just as well as he can shred. Ultimately, he massages your emotions through a peaceful wave of musical energy that is consistent throughout the album. If your ideal song involves Moreno rocking out with mesmerizing vocals to Stephen Carpenter’s heavy guitar, then Team Sleep is probably too soft for you. But if you’re interested in an ambient experience that is better for meditating than head banging, I think you’ll be pleased.

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