Here’s a record you will play for your friends. Shuteye Unison’s [Offical Site, Myspace] debut on Parks and Records is a swelling, dramatic release, hearkening back to the days of Sunny Day Real Estate, and, dare I say, Clarity era Jimmy Eat World.

Relaxed and warm, Shuteye Unison sound like an instrumental band… who just happen to have a lead singer. Daniel McKenzie, Jon Fee and Jake Krohn may as well be one unit, as their individual roles are hardly identifiable. No really. I couldn’t find information on the band or who does what. Either way, it doesn’t matter. They are a cohesive unit, the most since Silversun Pickups popped up on my radar several years ago.

“Fields Landing” bends the band’s shoegazer tendencies into rock opera; at 7 minutes 54 seconds, it still feels too short. “Slow Ravens” and “Tomorrow’s Five Horizons” are plausible singles, but hardly trite. The former is their most direct link to the classic SDRE debut, Diary, and the latter is the band peaking in a layered and moving anthem.

Shuteye Unison have serious potential if they prove themselves to be more than a splinter group of The Rum Diary (of which all three members hail). It’s difficult to go from up and coming underground buzz band to fledgling underground buzz band, especially if you stay local to the scene your previous band once inhabited. Regardless, the debut is an excellent start to something. I’m looking forward to finding out what that ‘something’ might be… Spoiler alert: it’ll probably be another record, or a tour. Both are good things.

“Slow Ravens” [mp3]

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