Day Sleeper - Savage Dreams | Single Review
May 18 | Written By Emily Whitchurch
Released on May 5, Savage Dreams is the third single from six-piece band Day Sleeper, whose debut album, ‘Everything Is’, launches on July 14. Hailing from Leith, Edinburgh, Day Sleeper cite Scottish post-rock bands Mogwai and The Twilight Sad as their main inspirations for the new single, which offers an introspective exploration of anxiety through both vocal and instrumental talent.
Savage Dreams opens with raw vocals and piano accompaniment, establishing a pensive tone that hints at what’s to come. Vocalist Leo Bargery sings of being chased by dogs down quiet streets and finding ‘reasons to leave’, creating a brooding tension and sense of paranoia that many listeners will resonate with. Indeed, Bargery describes the track as an ode to anxiety, reflected in the refrain ‘I often run home’, which weaves its way throughout the song like a recurring, unshiftable anxious thought. There are hints of religious imagery too, with lyrics describing canonisation, praying and a grandmother’s faith, perhaps seeking ways to loosen the heavy grip of anxiety.
The pace picks up for the second verse as a stronger beat emerges, which seems to mimic a thumping heartbeat. As instrumentals swell, ‘I often run home’ repeats itself again, this time with a greater sense of urgency as drummer Edwin McLachlan takes the spotlight. This instrumental crescendo cuts out rather abruptly, leaving Bargery to sing the final word ‘home’ alone - in McLachlan’s words, the anxiety ‘arrives home and quickly locks the door behind itself’, ending Savage Dreams with the same sense of fearful loneliness it began with.
To celebrate the launch of their debut album, Day Sleeper will also be performing live for the first time at The Mash House in Edinburgh on July 14 - tickets are available here.