Sleepingdog - Polar Life [2008]

There’s not a wealth of information circulating about Hoegaarden, Belgium’s Sleepingdog, which is one of the reasons we’re inclined to review Chantal Acda’s latest effort, Polar Life, released courtesy of Gizeh—home to other great Euro acts such as Glissando.

Defining Sleepingdog is a bit like trying play catch with a jellyfish—it’s not as easy as it seems. And Sleepingdog, despite her myspace profile’s “experimental” music tag, really doesn’t reinvent the proverbial wheel. Yet her sound is distinctive and elusive in its simplicity—the austere vocals, the distant, sparse key notes, the rare ambient throb of drums. The closest comparative analysis we can muster is that Sleepingdog feels a bit like a stripped-down iteration of Windmill’s Puddle City Racing Lights, although Chantal Acda is like a choir of angels to Windmill's asthmatic bridge troll (sorry, Windmill; we still love you).

Lyrically, Polar Life supports its moniker, evoking a cold and beautiful sonic landscape. In “The Sun Sinks in the Sea,” the speaker recounts the destruction of “My wakened day / my dreams.” Again, though simplistic, these words yield heart-wrenching results within the context of the music. “Sunshine Daylight” perks things up a bit with busier instrumentation, brighter vocals, and crystalline glockenspiel tones. “Alleys,” a deep cut, contains some of the most vivid images: “You drove me from your door / through white dark long alleys / with light shining on us.” The speaker narrates a journey through snowy streets and lost love before long organ notes thrust the music forward, only to die away. “Ardennes” throws a curve ball with the inclusion of Sufjan Stevens-worthy banjo twanging, beat-box percussion samples, and even a taste of Stars of the Lid-grade electronic drone. The final cut, “If Only (Sophia),” is arguably the most moving. Acda shares vocal duties with a male persona (Adam Wiltzie?) to tremendous effect. The speaker muses: “If only I could believe that tomorrow / when I wake from my sleep / that you’d still be with me.” Again—simple, yet effective.

In addition to her artistic merits, Chantal Acda claims to have recorded Polar Life at home with a dog named “Darko” faithfully sprawled at her feet. She’s also worked with Texas drone virtuosos Stars of the Lid, which leads one to wonder —what are the chances she’d go for an astronaut drummer?

Bottom line: Polar Life allows for a gratifying journey. It’s more acoustic than experimental, but this music still possesses enough depth and quirkiness to fly in under most radars.

Check out Sleeping Dog on Myspace!

Sleeping Dog's Website [under construction]

—Major Tom