Robbie Lee - Sleep Memory

This is the debut from NY-based songwriter/instrumentalist Lee, who plays everything on the record. Comprising three suites and two interludes, Sleep, Memory is not quite a concept album. The sonic atmosphere of decaying guitars that warps these catchy pop songs recalls that "life is but a dream", but the record's real foundation lies in the moments of it's creation, the cracked but sober psychedelia that comes from being awake too long at night. Lee's inspirations for these mellow songs, with their eclectic instrumentation, combine his love of classic songwriting (Kinks, Beach Boys, Hank Williams, etc.) with maverick experimentation (John Fahey, Keiji Haino, Giacinto Scelsi, etc.). a unique and personal vision, weird and mysterious, but eminently accessible. I And Ear Records. 2006.