Revival
Vancouver Sleep Clinic
Spotify
Vancouver Sleep Clinic, the solo project of Tim Bettinson, first caught my eye when he made a song with Gnash, Stargazing, and ever since then I have been very interested in his music. That's how I came across this album, my favorite album of the year in 2017. And my song of the year, Someone To Stay.
A thing you're gonna see a lot when I describe this album is how much you can feel each song. Tim Bettinson is amazing at giving every song the exact mood it needs, and it shows on this album.
1) Whispers
The piano in the beginning of this song draws me into this song and the rest of this album. The "Ooo's" at the 2:30 mark are the first big powerful moment of this album, where it feels like a cry out from the artist. Something there will be a lot more of on this album.
"You lost your purpose quietly, in the night, in your eyes."
2) Killing Me To Love You
The bells and chimes in the beginning of the song give the verses a cinematic feel. Vancouver Sleep Clinic does this amazing thing of making every song sound so different, yet so similar that you stay engaged in this album all the way through.
"Your body is broken but you're trying to fight this.
Your arms are weary but you're trying to hide this."
3) Living Water
Listen to the hopeful guitar in the beginning of this song. This song is all about leaving a person or people who love you for something else, perhaps other people, and missing those past relationships. That's what the quote means. He feels empty without the person or people who were there for him being there, and it's his fault they're gone and he's trying to live with that regret. Amazing song.
"And left the living water, crossed the world with these empty hands,
to find I'm nothing on my own.
4) Empire
This song is weird. It's my least favorite song on the album, but i mean even so i think it's a decent thing. I don't know what about this song turns me off from it, all the parts of it are nice I just don't enjoy the song. But it's very interesting to listen to, so you may enjoy it!
"I'm not afraid."
5) Someone To Stay
I LOVE this song. It's just so real. The need for someone to stay in your life, especially when so much is changing everyday, is a thought that resonates with me, and probably many people. But this song doesn't stop there. It keeps growing, adding to the thought of so much happening at once until these "oh's" come in the background, which to me represents being overwhelmed and needing to scream. Everyone should listen to this song, you won't regret it.
"Can you keep me close, can you love me most?"
6) Lung
This song starts off with 2 minutes of instrumental music that had me in tears, and when he started singing forget about it. You can feel the pain in every part of the writing of this song. This was his first single off of this album, and I can definitely see why with the amount of emotion put into it. He keeps repeating these phrases that just set this mood that's hard to put into words:
"Can somebody pick me up"
"Because I can't breathe."
7) Letting Go
This song, like the rest of this album, does a great job in keeping you interested and engaged, and grabbing your attention. This song does this with 2 beat drops. The first one is only 14 seconds long, which leaves it unfulfilled. In the second drop, he expands this and gives it room to grow in a way that feels natural in this album. This song isn't one of my favorites on the album, but it's one of the most interesting.
"I can't keep holding on"
8) Sleeping World
Triumph. After everything, triumph. It's incredible how this song feels in the context of this album. After everything you go through on this album, you've arrived somewhere you can finally breathe. He found something, even if temporary, that made life worth living again. Isn't that what we're all searching for?
"In a night made of diamonds, I don't see anything else.
Cause I'm just learning to hold you, above a sleeping world."
9) Wildfire
The lyric below really describes it. This is the safe space of this album. Sleeping World and Wildfire are a breath of fresh air after a dark day. It's really the only time listening to this album where I feel completely at peace. The album needed this song. So while it's not one of my personal favorites, I'm very glad it made it onto this record.
"I've had enough, of being lost"
10) Unworthy
Bye bye safe space. The voice synthesizer in the beginning of this song sets the mood of this song. Which to me, feels almost like desperation. It's about trying your best and giving your all to someone and it not working out, and you feeling ashamed because of it. This song hurts, but it's a masterpiece because of how it hurts.
"So take all of me. Please take all of me."
11) Revival
I can't think of a better way for this album to end than with an instrumental. It allows the listener to revisit all those emotions from the album as well as conclude quite nicely. This song almost feels like a revival too. It feels like he finally got all of the emotions that were tormenting him out and written down and he can go on with his life without drowning. I find this song to be uplifting, as a triumph of getting this far in life, because even though there's more work to be done you sometimes need to take a moment and celebrate today.
Favorite Tracks
Someone To Stay, Lung, Living Water, Unworthy
Least Favorite Track
Empire
I highly recommend you give this album a listen, as well as his other work as it is fantastic and worthy of much more attention!
That's gonna do it for this blog, check back Thursday for my updated Top 20!
And as always, this is Kenny Haller of Fruitless AfterThought, over and out!
