Sleepwalkers Local 242 has been lurking in the shadows for some time now. There have been sporadic gigs but little else for the world to hear. Now, the sounds that have been building for years are starting to spill out into the daylight. ?Things We Put Our Friends Through? is what feels like 12 inches of vinyl album dreaminess distilled down to fifteen minutes on a 3 inch CD-r. The results are sublime. One man laying out a flirty little symphony. Miniature scores, entire films scored in minutes really, presented here.

?Dipsomania? knocks me out every time I hear it. There?s a simple and rough guitar line that drives the song while another guitar, or maybe its keyboards, plays over. The whole thing has an echo of remorse, regret? I suppose the title is apt for the vibe presented. As is the album title. ?Things We Put Our Friends Through?. Each song feels like an ode to bad choice, or the accompanying music for realizing the enormity of your poor choices?Again, regret. Remorse. This is all grand speculation of course. It?s really just music. But marvelous music at that. ?Feet Planted Firmly, Head Down? gets jarring. Layers of distortion threaten to bury the synth line and the loping guitar but in the end the melody carries through. Packaged in a light blue painted slim jewel case, it feels dreamy the minute it sets in your hands. Phantom Limb is a new imprint based out of Los Angeles that has just debuted with three really strong releases. Surely a label to keep your eye on, each of the three releases, this one included, is stellar.

And then its over. Less than 20 minutes. But it feels like so much longer. Entire days of clinical and medicinal suppression...self-imposed of course...all crammed onto three inches of shiny plastic......good morning to you....... 9/10 -- Adam Richards (20 February, 2007)