Continuing in the trend of folk inspired rock, the aptly named Sleep Station puts forth ŒAfter the War' on Eyeball Records. Based on the cover art alone, is can be anticipated that Sleep Station was striving for a similar effect as the Decemberists' Her Majesty... However, the fields that appear in my mind while listening are filled with golden hay and brimming with tractors, rather than casualty-strewn, crimson, and trampled by tanks. The gems in this album are what I imagined to be testimonials from World War II veterans, but after close scrutiny of the liner notes and the discovery of writing credits for these tracks, they appear to have been penned by band members. What was thought to be a breath of static-ridden history is actually a 21st Century knockoff.

Moving past the mushroom cloud surrounding the concept of the album, the music itself also falls short. While not disagreeable to the ears, it moves to confirm that no maker how hard you try, you can't recreate the music of your heroes. "Burden to You" induces longing for Elvis Costello's Alison, the over-produced boy choir is a little too Beach Boys reminiscent, and Neutral Milk Hotel this is definitely not. Somehow it all manages to be too polished and too digitally destructed at the same time. Sleep Station has made a poor attempt at recreation, but nevertheless presents a pleasant, polished product.

-Sarah Stedman