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There is a point during Steven Spielberg’s live action Peter Pan film, Hook,
when Peter’s young daughter begins singing a lullaby while she’s being held captive
on Captain Hook’s ship. Unbeknownst to her, the little girl’s singing can be
heard by all on board—an unexpected sound for sure, but a nostalgic and
calming one as well—bringing Hook and his crew together for a few brief moments,
drifting away in the warmth and comfort of the tune.
Thanks to New Jersey newcomers Long Beard and their debut album, Sleepwalker, I’m almost positive that I now know how the pirates felt in that scene—except I got to savor the moment for much longer.
Coming from a band with a name like Long Beard, I was expecting some kind of all-male (with long beards, of course), upbeat rock-type band, but that couldn’t be further from what this band is—hence the unexpected part. But for what they lack in
expectation, Long Beard more than delivers on sound—and by sound, I mostly
mean the voice of lead singer Leslie Bear.
Although I can’t understand most of what she says, the sound of Bear’s voice sailing
smoothly over top of understated (and appreciatively varied, albeit never
fast) rhythms and guitars is more than enough to get me to look up the lyrics
and follow along once I eventually get tired of just listening—which will probably be a
while.
There are a couple of songs in which the guitars static up and rattle the speakers. But, other than that, this is a beautiful atmosphere album—the type
that will inspire you to get your favorite glass of wine (beer is also acceptable for those
wanting to feel more masculine), put your headphones on, and enjoy the
serenity until you fall asleep, pass out, or feel the need to get deeper into
the lyrics.
