Sleepercar

West Texas (Doghouse)

With last year’s solo EP, Quiet, Jim Ward took an alt.country turn. His debut as Sleepercar continues down the same road while folding in some of the more familiar sonic inclinations of his former bands Sparta and even At the Drive-In. West Texas opens with a slow build into the driving beat of “A Broken Promise” that rolls easily up to the guitar-fueled pop of “Wasting My Time.” Wilco and the Old 97’s serve as the album’s primary markers, however, with atmospheric steel guitar accenting the bounce of “Fences Down” and “Heavy Weights” as “Kings & Compromises” and “Sound the Alarm” burn a more rock tread. Sleepercar’s origins extend back to Ward’s At the Drive-In days, and often the songs feel as if they’ve idled too long, accumulating crammed and uneasy arrangements and gratuitous effects, though the airy harmonies of Denali’s Maura Davis comb magnificently through Ward’s gritty vocals on slower ballads such as “All Will End Well.”

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This article appears in November 7 • 2008.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.