The Big Sleep are a trio from Brooklyn that play robotic, hypnotic, and mostly instrumental post-rock. Their name fits better than perhaps they'd like; while Son of the Tiger, the band's debut, is not going to kill you, you might find your mind wandering as it plays, only to snap back and realize that two songs have passed. The songs aren't dynamic-- they pick one melody, one mood, or one rhythm, and ride it out-- but sometimes a driving groove gets a mesmerizing hook in you and threatens to never let go.
Six of these 10 tracks are instrumentals, ranging from dark and gloomy to raucous and explosive. Big Sleep find most success within the tight framework of head-bobbing rhythm and buzz-saw guitars, as on opener "Brown Beauty", with its wash of fuzz and jerking beat. "You Can't Touch the Untouchable", a Trans-Am-esque stomper, built on menacing, droning guitar effects, is another winner. And the disc's strongest moment is the rollicking "Are You Ready (For Love)?" Over the course of its four minutes, it builds from low-key guitar blips to a cascade of drum fills and noisy melody.
The vocal songs are hit-or-miss. "Murder" makes great use of Sonya Balchandani's sultry monotone; even though her voice is mixed low, it remains the focal point. "Shima", on the other hand, features her voice right up front, dueling with the noodling guitar and droning bass and keys. Both of these tracks work, and neither strays far from the style developed in the disc's instrumental half. But "SKB", a dreamy, bluesy number, never gets off the ground, and the title track feels like an "Are You Ready (For Love?)" redux with buried vocals tacked on. Regardless, there are a few great songs on Son of the Tiger, though it may take a few listens for the disc's charms to work on you.
