The Modern Age unveils a reunited
Sleeper, who from several angles seem like they've been in hibernation since 1997. That's the year the band released Pleased to Meet You, the last of the three albums they delivered during the glory days of Brit-pop and one that failed to replicate either the buzz of
Smart or the hits of
The It Girl. Twenty-two years later,
Sleeper are operating beyond the bounds of the charts, adhering to values that were once hip but are now old-fashioned. They remain infatuated with ideals that were forged in the '60s and polished during New Wave, relying on cranked guitars, sharp hooks, and a wry sense of humor. It's an attitude that powered
Sleeper through the '90s and it's uncanny how
The Modern Age picks up on this thread. Some credit should surely go to Stephen Street, who produced
The Modern Age exactly as he produced
The It Girl -- it's crisp and clean, pushing the melody and the riffs to the forefront -- but the band also sound determined to revive their good fortunes, writing songs that are sturdy and not at all flashy. Listen closely, though, and it's possible to hear
Sleeper's age, particularly in the lyrics of Louise Wener. She may sound breathier than she did back in the '90s, but her words are sharply rendered, showing the benefits of the years she's spent as an author. Wener treats the new
Sleeper songs as a series of short stories, and that gives
The Modern Age its true spine, helping it escape the clutches of nostalgia. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine