Sleeping Jesus "Shotgun" Album Review
Review by: Sarah Steffen, Writer @dancingfishevents
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Sleeping Jesus’s third album, and first self produced record, Shotgun, is out now. Following 2022’s Leave the Party Early, and 2023’s Hollywood Smile, Shotgun extends Sleeping Jesus’s signature sound into 2025. Shotgun stays on theme and hangs together beautifully as a piece of art. Let’s jump into the album.
Shotgun opens with the title track, “Shotgun”, a track that sounds like you’ve known and loved it your whole life. It’s nostalgic, sweet, and jammin. 10/10, no notes, excellent opening. It is easy listening with a harmonica solo - what more could we want? The backing vocals add to the professional quality of the recording. The track is beautifully mixed and mastered, showing that Sleeping Jesus’s talents extend even beyond songwriting and performing, and into the booth.
After the sugary opening number, we transition into a more sad-nostalgic mood with “In The Morning”. The whistled introductory line is heart wrenching even before any words are uttered. The recording quality continues to astound on this track with gorgeous transitions. I love the line “You’re a lot like him, big shiteating grin”, it’s effortlessly evocative.
We pick up the tempo again with “Love’s a Foolish Game”. I love that the song places us directly in St. Paul. It made me think of Luke Callen’s “Minneapolis” for the way that it places us in the Twin Cities so textually.
The next track, “Far From LA”, took me back 10 years to bands that I loved in the 2010s such as the Avett Brothers, the Lumineers, and especially Houndmouth in tracks like “Sedona”. The hooks and gang vocals on the chorus pulled me right back in time. As in “Far From LA,” Houndmouth’s “Sedona” references California, and uses gun metaphors in the lyrics: “You flipped the script, you shot the plot.” I love this era of folk/rock/pop/indie mash-up, and only mean this comparison as a compliment. It also adds to the nostalgic sweetness of the tunes for me.
I appreciate the effective use of a gun as a metaphor in “Far From LA”. “You’ve got that gun in your hand, but your head’s in the sand, you should have stayed far from LA,” Sleeping Jesus sings. I am especially sensitive to gun references right now after the shootings of Melissa and Mark Hortman, the Annunciation school shooting, and the mass shootings at homeless encampments in Minneapolis. Perhaps this makes the music even more evocative at a time when we all need to think about the future that we want in Minnesota.
“Heavy on My Mind” has a killer bass line. You’ll want to roll the windows down, and let the good times roll as you head out on an adventure with Shotgun as your soundtrack. The line, “fall back in love with yourself,” especially resonated with me as we are all trying to fall back in love with something these days, whether it’s in-office work, America, or ourselves.
“Still ‘Round” is another track with some more serious themes that still sounds effortlessly care-free. “Daddy says, stay away from coppers, cuz they ain’t your friends,” Sleeping Jesus croons. Yet the song is so sweet and undeniably nostalgic that it overrules any feelings of unease that the lyrics might otherwise evoke. Next we dive into “Little Lover Boy”, a very fun track about a part time lover (perhaps a situationship?). It is undeniably a groovy bop. The mixing is also very satisfying. Sleeping Jesus is once again showcasing their musical and technical prowess on this track.
“Long Way Home,” “Ordinary Man,” and “In The End” round out the album. With more tasty backing vocals, beachy licks, and seamless transitions, it is a satisfying closing to an album already destined for accolades. With 11 tracks, several mood shifts, and a strong throughline of nostalgia and longing, Shotgun is a standout album from Minnesota this year.
Shotgun is the perfect soundtrack for your next road trip, afternoon on the couch, or walk around the lake. It’s the best kind of easy listening. It will make you smile, reflect, and harken back to the good old days. It’s a great album to share with your fellow Minnesota music fans, both young and old.
It is clear that this album is a labor of love. The final line of the album is “Tell your friends you love them, only thing that matters in the end, the only thing that matters in the end.” I couldn’t agree more. I’ll be telling my friends that I love them by sharing this album with them.
You can celebrate the record with a matinee family friendly concert at The Parkway Theater on October 12 with We Are The Willows. I have seen Nick of Sleeping Jesus perform live previously, and can confidently say that it’s a show you won’t want to miss.
Upcoming Sleeping Jesus Shows
