Sleeping Through the War
Sleeping Through the War brings a stronger sense of song structure to All Them Witches' blues and psychedelic rock. Producer Dave Cobb gives the arrangements a larger sound, while the band keep room for the quieter, more exploratory playing that runs through their earlier work. The result has clear hooks and substantial weight, with enough unusual details to keep the familiar rock forms interesting.
Bulls is an especially strong opener. A descending melody and a dreamy vocal setting give way to a much heavier chorus, with backing singers helping the change feel larger. The movement between those two sides gives the song a clear shape. The keyboards become more forceful as it develops, adding another source of energy beside the guitar.
Don't Bring Me Coffee is more direct, using a rough guitar sound and a memorable chorus to move the record along. Bruce Lee follows with a firm riff and small organ details that give its faster pace extra character. These songs make the opening stretch easy to follow without removing the band's stranger edges.
3-5-7 works as a turning point. Its changes between quieter and louder playing connect the more immediate songs with the longer pieces that follow. Am I Going Up?, Alabaster and Cowboy Kirk give the rhythm section more space to settle into the music, with freer structures and a more relaxed psychedelic feel.
Internet closes with an extended blues arrangement. Harmonica adds to its loose, rootsy character, and the slower pace gives the players room to move around each other. It is a clear change from the direct guitar songs near the start, but still feels connected to the album's broader sound.
The variety can make the sequence slightly uneven. The first half moves between songs quickly, while the later material asks for more time and attention. Yet that change also gives the record a useful sense of scale. Sleeping Through the War is most effective when a clear melody supports the atmosphere, and its strongest tracks achieve that balance well. All Them Witches make a bigger production feel like a natural setting for their playing.
