Sleeveens – The Draw (2021)
With their debut single, Sleeveens take a look at the magnetism between flawed people in ‘The Draw’. While using the intimacy of a love song, the band considers the perceived certainty that we find in each other. This has been put to a sweeping cinematic flow that catches you in the whirlwind of vocals, piano lines and orchestration.
This sweeping sound comes from Gareth McCarthy and Craig Cahill who have worked together for over 20 years in different groups. Together, they have graced some of the largest stages in Ireland and appeared on Irish television. With this single, they are starting their own project packed with their expansive compositions.
‘The Draw’ pulls you into the soundscape with beautiful orchestration. The strings pull at your brain as you breathe with the music. There is a drop of all sound for the vocals to shine through. The piano then starts to swell beneath his vocals for a truly cinematic flow. You can almost imagine the song being played in a large concert hall. The melody comes to your ears in waves of haunting beauty that is so captivating. You could easily imagine this song being part of a soundtrack for a blockbuster.
When the music drops for the vocals, they send a shiver through you. There is something poignant about this voice calling out from the silence of the single that cuts through you. The performance is also packed with emotion that has a creeping edge that puts a knot in your throat. There is a really expansive feeling to the performance, particularly when there is this touch of pain laced into the power of the vocals.
If the cinematic vibes of the single alone do not captivate you, the accompanying music video will. Featuring footage from the film ‘She Shoulda Said No!’ with Lila Leeds, it tells the tragic story of the demise of her career. Through the black and white imagery, the messaging of the lyrics shines through. There is a pull to uncomfortable truths in the video that send shivers through you and are as relevant today as when the film was originally made.
Sleeveens send shivers through you with their hauntingly beautiful cinematic soundscape and pulling of uncomfortable truths in ‘The Draw’. With a stunning blending of orchestration, pain-filled vocals and delicate touches, the duo hold you in place until they are ready to release you. The accompanying music uses footage from an old movie to great effect as they pull you into a world of career demise and exploitation.
Find out more about Sleeveens on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
