Almost an Artist punches an emotional gut in their striking new single, "Sleep With Your Friends" a sparse, slow-burning slice of indie rock confession that unearths the messy aftermath of crossing that one line with the one you'd never think you'd lose.
It's centered around minimal production and an unfiltered vocal that wavers under the solemn weight of hindsight, and "Sleep With Your Friends" doesn't attempt to cloak heartbreak in anything but. It lets it rot in the open. This is the sound of sitting in the wreckage after the damage is done and the phone stops ringing. Almost an Artist was somebody's best friend for sixteen years, and they had a good time, then she disappeared on him. This is what that felt like. And, to be honest, you do every beat of hesitation, every breath where something unspoken curls in the air. It is guilt, loss, confusion, and clarity arriving one beat behind.
The song eschews polished indie's pleasantries for openness, reminiscent of Elliot Smith alone in a smoky, late-night kitchen or early Bright Eyes with nothing to prove. The power of "Sleep With Your Friends" rests in that self-restraint, no huge chorus, no stacked harmonies. Only one is telling the truth, and the silence fills in.