Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Album Review

Eat, Sleep, Repeat is the third full-length from Florida-based Copeland, and it's their most accomplished record yet. The band continue in the vein of soft and introspective indie rock, as is their specialty, but there is a definite sense of the music being fuller on this album than ever before. And this is a very good thing. Copeland still rely on hushes of piano, light percussion, and gentle strumming to craft each graceful track, but subtle touches, like the added horns on the lovely "Love Affair" and the strings on "I'm a Sucker for a Kind Word," noticeably enhance Eat, Sleep, Repeat's overall effect. Copeland aren't afraid to try out different elements, and their confidence is more than welcome. But despite the elegance and restraint they use to make their point, they're just sometimes so relaxed and unassuming in their approach that songs can easily blur into one long, yawn-inducing track upon initial listens. Don't give up — multiple spins move the record past the blurred, so-soft-it's-boring feeling, and the clouds part to illuminate how truly inviting and pleasant a band Copeland really is. Aaron Marsh's feathery voice has always been borderline effeminate, but he really stands strong on this record, and it's hard to imagine anyone else making a song like the wonderful "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out" sound so great, especially paired up with the backing female vocals. Elsewhere, the straightforward pop of "Control Freak" stands out as a much more aggressive track for the band (relatively speaking), its anxious piano notes propelling an apprehensive Marsh along, which makes up for cuts like "I'm Safer in an Airplane" that don't really seem to go anywhere at all. With Eat, Sleep, Repeat, Copeland has made a record that doesn't immediately demand attention, but rather one that steadily opens up to the delight of listeners. Anyone in the market for an album for simply sitting back and lounging around, this will put a contented smile on your face in no time at all.