GROWING

San Diego foursome Sleeping People are true progressives, which they demonstrate on their second album. This math band's debut was very, very good but Growing is better and shows major development in composition, direction and production values. Kept is the sticky club atmosphere but the new explorations and layers of melodic texture raise things above the group's punkish demeanor. Guitarist Joileah Maddock has to be one of most innovative and convincing players in progressive rock and leads her band with sensitive discipline and a firm vision. Her mazes of lines are echoed by Kasey Boekholt on guitar, bassist Kenseth Thibideau, and the athletic Brandon Relf on drums. Grimy and beautiful at once, the record is ten cuts of twisting ivy that vines its way, knotting and gnarling together and back out again, starting with the burbling 'Centipede's Dream' which segues straight into chunky 'James Spader'. 'Mouth Breeder' may remind of Summers/Fripp's minimal experiments on I Advance Masked but has a dangerous energy that project lacked. '...Out Dream' features bassist Thibideau's keyboard, 'Three Things' is a hot but frustrated rock band craving a breakthrough, full of relentless drones and hidden moments, and absolutely fantastic Fripper 'Grow Worm'.

With Sleeping People we're never quite sure where everything is headed, with disaster surely right around the corner. But the band always pulls through and delivers high-energy arithmetic, and 'Growing' is one of 2007's most riveting CDs.