Album Review: Night Terrors by Ode To Sleep

In July, two piece riot grrrl act Ode To Sleep released their debut EP Night Terrors on INiiT Records. Having previously been sent one of the tracks for the CPRW Records Music Venue Trust compilation, I was keen to check out some more songs from the band. Ode To Sleep consist of Liz Hayward (vocals and bass) and Jade O’Leary (vocals and drums).

Night Terrors begins with Call To Action. The track starts out with a pounding drum beat and some distorted bass guitar before some fantastic melodic vocals come in. It’s clear to see that Ode To Sleep are not worried about taking a few risks and going off in different directions with their sound as the song switches between the melodic sound and a more intense sound. There’s a great deal of positivity that comes from the track, as the band’s singer Liz sings “find your reason to believe in something beautiful, are you willing to break the system to save us all.” The song is certainly empowering. Captive Audience was the first Ode To Sleep track I got to hear due to its inclusion on our compilation. There’s a grungey feel to the song along with some bouncey and poppy, fast paced vocals. I would have never have believed that these two styles would have worked so well before listening to Captive Audience but Ode To Sleep have proved me wrong.

The third song is named Everything Is Better. The track has a lengthy introduction that leads wonderfully into some more fast paced vocals. The way in which Liz delivers the vocals really capture your attention and makes you want to listen and absorb each and every word. As the song goes on, the passion in Liz’s vocals grows and really begins to move you. The final song on Night Terrors is titled Ethical Negligence. Ensuring that the EP finishes with a bang and also having you itching for more from Ode To Sleep, this is a song that starts abruptly but grows more and more as it goes on. Liz also saves their best vocal performance for this final track, doing a magnificent job showcasing a very impressive range. The track is about living your life as ethically as possible and how it’s important to make sure you’re doing the right thing rather than just blaming the rich – though they should be held accountable as well.

This is a very strong debut EP from Ode To Sleep. Touching on a range of subjects from human and animal rights, as well as mental health and environmental issues, they are a band with a lot to say. Liz and Jade have only been together as a band since October 2019 and are already showing a huge amount of promise. One to watch.

Stream and download Night Terrors on Bandcamp here.

Like Ode To Sleep on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.