In the high-speed lives we currently live, it feels more difficult than ever to get real, restful sleep. Tossing and turning, running through the day’s encounters, and feeling anxious about the next day all add up with so many other stressors. Good sleep is often elusive. But maybe what we’re missing is the right sleep album to send us peacefully into dreamland. Here are three options that might do the trick.
‘Tallahassee’ by The Mountain Goats
A concept album about a toxic couple who hate each other may not sound like it inspires restful sleep. But the magic of The Mountain Goats is partially in John Darnielle’s songwriting and vocal delivery. He can make even the worst lyrical themes sound soothing or romantic. Tallahassee as a whole is expertly crafted to present the Alpha Couple’s marital dysfunction in an almost unassuming way.
The Mountain Goats don’t have much instrumental variation in their discography, possibly stemming from the days as Darnielle’s solo project. But even with a lack of experimentation, there’s not one Mountain Goats song that sounds the same. Their true complexity comes from unique storytelling, in which Darnielle crafts images and sentences that have never existed before he thought of them. He can take a depressing concept like a couple on the verge of divorce and package it as a beautiful album to fall asleep to.
‘A I A: Alien Observer’ by Grouper
Grouper, aka Liz Harris, has a toolbox full of stylistic anomalies, and she knows exactly when and where to use them. On her 2014 album Ruins, she had the perfect tools for the job: a piano, a portable 4-track recorder, and a mic. This resulted in an album that captured her emotional state in its raw form. For the 2011 album A I A: Alien Observer, our choice for a dreamy sleep, Harris’ tools included ethereal drone compositions and a sonic liquidity.
Alien Observer sounds like what it must feel like to float gently in space, surrounded by blinding light and infinite darkness at the same time. It’s an album for getting lost without knowing if you’re going to be found again. But also being okay with that. With Alien Observer holding your hand, slipping into sleep becomes a simple biological response to being tired. Instead of the usual anxiety thought spiral until you finally pass out.
‘( )’ by Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós’ 2002 album ( ), or The Bracket Album, has gotten high marks from fans for how well it lulls them to sleep. The consensus on this album is that its stark production allows for an easy drift into unconsciousness. But several listeners who have used it to fall asleep have reported weird dreams as a result. So, take it with a grain of salt depending on the kind of sleep you prefer.
If wild, incomprehensible dreams are the goal, this album should be right up your alley. Dreaming is an integral part of getting restful sleep, after all. While everyone dreams, some people find it harder to recall their dreams than others, so it might feel like they’re not dreaming at all. Maybe falling asleep to this Sigur Rós album could be the missing link in dream recall. You won’t know until you know.
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