By: Amanda Parsons
On April 8, 2016, thirteen months after the release of their fourth studio album Madness, Sleeping With Sirens released their first live album, Live and Unplugged. Formed in 2009 and hailing from Orlando, Florida, Sleeping With Sirens includes lead vocalist Kellin Quinn, bassist Justin Hills, drummer Gabe Barham, lead guitarist Jack Fowler, and rhythm guitarist Nick Martin.
Live and Unplugged consists of nine well-written and meaningful original tracks from the band’s four studio albums and two cover songs, the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and Sublime’s “Santeria¨, which are performed flawlessly. As the name of the album suggests, all songs are performed live and acoustically in an intimate manner, which happens to be the opposite of their usual performances. Original tracks from the band on the album include crowd favorites such as “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn”, and “If You Can’t Hang”.
Live and Unplugged may vary from the band’s four studio albums in numerous ways, yet, still captures the strong vocals of Kellin Quinn and the impressive instrumental ability of the other band members. Sleeping With Sirens is a band that a variety of people are able to relate to through meaningful and emotional lyrics. The fourth track on the album, “The Strays”, identifies with those who have been neglected and doubted. The song contains numerous honest and compassionate lyrics, such as “I was born, but wasn’t raised”, and “My whole life they said I’d be nothing, well I’m something”. The song creates an optimistic outlook on the future for those who listen and serves as a reminder to many that you are not worthless.
Although many aspects of their regular shows are missing, including the bright lights and numerous amps, the enthusiasm of both the crowd and the band still remains.
The album also includes humorous dialogue from Quinn and his bandmates talking to the crowd, often encouraging them to sing along. The band also takes time to express their appreciation for the fans, thanking them for the amount of support they have given them throughout the years.
Sleeping With Sirens’ versatility is expressed continuously throughout the album in their acoustic performance, and further shows their ability to connect with an audience both on and off the stage.
