Late at Night is a 5-track EP out today from Slowsie, an exciting rock project led by songwriter Michael Pearson. “Bedbugs” is an immediate standout. Suave guitar tones and quivering vocal feeling reminds me fondly of Beirut, with “all I want is to be able to sleep at night,” section resonating with infectious engagement. The bridge/twist at 03:30 puts a fun new spin on that particular lyric, followed by a soaring outro.
The Late at Night EP, and certainly this track in particular, is inspired by Pearson’s lifelong struggle with insomnia, which was particularly prominent when he moved from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to attend university. Certainly, the self-titled track echoes this, particularly in regard to losing sleep over relationship problems. Mellow, groovy verses build infectiously to a reflective bridge and fuller, resonating chorus, chugging with a Strokes-esque charm. “Vanilla Bean” is also notable for its soulful, smooth-flowing vibe — serving as an ideal suave in-between separating the self-titled track and exciting closer “Bedbugs.”
Pearson elaborates more on the track “Bedbugs” below:
“This song is without a doubt: my band’s favorite to play, the crowd’s favorite to jump around to, and the inspiration for the whole record. I’ve had insomnia problems for many years for different reasons (it’s 4AM as I’m writing this!) but back when I wrote this I had some serious problems with actual bugs. I was living in a basement and was simply terrorized by spiders at the time. That narrative didn’t quite make it into the song – instead I focused on feelings of imposter syndrome, unfortunate apathy, and my deep deep longing for a good night’s rest.”
The EP features Brian Johnson on drums, Jacob Alappatt on bass, and Tomasz Tabernacki on lead guitar.
Stream “Bedbugs” and these other tracks from the Late at Night EP below:
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“Bedbugs” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of July 2020’ Spotify playlist.
The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Rock.
