Album Review: Sleeping With Sirens - "If You Were A Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack" EP

Post-hardcore band Sleeping With Sirens has had fans waiting patiently for the release of their acoustic EP since it was announced in December 2011. As the months passed, details came to light, such as the title, release date and the track listing. Finally, a mere six months later, fans can sink their teeth into the surprising release.

"If You Were A Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack" boasts five tracks — three reworked tracks and two new ones— set to act as five different scenes in this concept EP based on, you guessed it, your life “movie.” Opening with a fan favorite (though with
shortened title) “James Dean & Audrey Hepburn” sets the tone for the following four songs, showing that acoustic guitar and Kellin Quinn’s airy light vocals are the main focus of this release.

It continues with new song “Roger Rabbit”, which has R&B undertones but hardly picks up in tempo from the previous track and struggles to bring any new depth to Quinn's vocals. However, the following three tracks make up for this low point in the EP. “Stomach Tied In Knots” brings a whole new aspect to the band’s music, feeling a little more Never Shout Never than Sleeping With Sirens, but proving that they are anything but one dimensional. The fourth track, “Don’t You Ever Forget About Me” is a standout as it is the most uptempo and pulls violins into the mix that play into the theatricality of Quinn's voice and give the song another layer to pick out and get lost in. Arguably, it’s the closest any of the tracks actually get to sounding as if they are from a movie soundtrack.

The final scene, “With Ears To See and Eyes To Hear,” brings things back down to where they began: low key, thinned out and reworked from their 2010 release that shares the same name.

All in all, "If You Were A Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack" will be a treat for fans of Sleeping With Sirens, but as it doesn’t showcase the bands high energy, it might be tough for new audience members to latch onto. If anything, it’s a great soundtrack for warm summer nights looking over bright city lights. Of course, if the album artwork is any indication, that’s what they were going for.

3/5

"If You Were A Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack" EP is out June 26th through Rise Records

Victoria Patneaude