Stepson diversify their sound with the fun & heartfelt 'Deeper Sleep'

13 February 2021 | 1:17 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

This is one of the coolest songs Stepson has ever written.

'Deeper Sleep' marks one of the coolest and most interesting moments in Stepson's lifespan as a band thus far.  



'Deeper Sleep' is one of the most interesting songs that Stepson has released in a while. And I don't just mean that because it's been a good 13 months since we last heard anything from the Aussie group in the form of 'Run.' Lyrically, this new single is about infectious insecurity carrying over from old experiences and previous abusive relationships; about trusting the one you're with, what happens when that connection falters, and how if there's no trust, then there's no "us." A theme the Queensland band haven't necessarily explored before, though the intrigue of 'Deeper Sleep' goes deeper with its musicality.

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See, there's actually a lot of small but quite cool things happening with this track. Everything in 'Deeper Sleep' moves along so well; each part has meaning, and each new idea feels necessary to the larger piece. It's a good example of how to diversity one's own sound, trying some neat new things, but without jarringly shifting gears too hard. (Though, when done right, that can also work real wonders.)

There's the slick disco open-closed hi-hat dance beats, the soft pitched-up vocals that subtly appear in the opening passage that feel like an echo from their past electronic-pop ventures, and the punky "hey hey!" shouts that call out during the surprising but crescendoing and roaring guitar solo section. Then there's the clean and warm noodling guitar figure that's combined with snare-rim clicks and syncopated bass notes to form a motif the band reuse in the intro and bridge, the cheery and fun "ba-dada" sing-along near the end, and how ALL of this folds around Brock Conry's searing hardcore screams nicely. (Brock's grown his hair out into a mullet during lockdown it appears, but he rocks it hard.)

What Stepson are doing now with their sound - this merging of melodic hardcore fierceness with a love of melody, rock and poppier electronic shades - is what Amity are trying so desperately to do and failing miserably at with their last couple records. Speaking of records, Stepson's debut album, 'Help Me Help You,' is finally arriving on March 26th, after being delayed last year because of, well, everything that happened to our plans and to live music in 2020.

Oh, did anyone else wish that the video for 'Deeper Sleep' was solely the dancers, better shaping the journey and sharing the story of these two lovers coming together and drifting apart, or is it just me?