Sleeper - The It Girl

 

Sleeper - The It Girl

By

Jesse E. Mullen

Authors and musicians who write lyrics are very similar. They both express themselves through characters. They both use first and third person narratives to convey a greater point. And they often use language which is both figurative and literal as a form of double entendre.

Being a writer in both fields, Louise Wener understands this very well. The Sleeper frontwoman has published two novels, as well as a memoir. But it’s her adventures in Britpop which get the most attention.

Sleeper formed as a student band in 1988. A collaboration between Wener and guitarist Jon Stewart – no relation to the US TV show host – they grew to being a chart-topping success by the mid-90s. Their debut, 1995’s Smart was a smash hit both critically and commercially.

But the question remained – could Sleeper go onto even greater success? And could they avoid the sophomore slump that befell many a band of their generation? It didn’t take long to find out.

In 1996, Sleeper released their second album The It Girl. The album peaked at number five in the UK album charts – just as Smart had – and eventually went platinum whereas Smart went gold. However, these are simply numerical measures of success. How did the album stack up as a whole?

Wener’s writing retains the sharp wit of Smart, but with more fleshed-out arrangements. She manages to be both poignant and funny at the same time. Empathetic but disdainful. It’s a polarity that can result in self-parody in lesser artists. But she walks the line perfectly.

“Sale of the Century” starts off with a slightly reggae-influenced rhythm resembling The Clash’s London Calling album. But when Wener reaches the chorus, it is pure-Sleeper mode. Anthemic without being bombastic, Wener uses thriftiness as a metaphor for a mediocre relationship.

On “Statuesque,” Wener is both envious of and pitying towards a woman who is more glamorous than she is. It’s a sly commentary on how we have complex feelings towards those who upstage us – we see the people that they attract, yet we also see them struggle to stand on their own two feet.

Musically, the track is a brilliantly executed homage to the new wave of the previous decade. The stacked vocals in the chorus resemble the harmonies of 60’s pop rock.

Perhaps the greatest indication of Wener’s future as an author is the dreamy “What Do I Do Now?” Wener deals with the breakdown of communication in a relationship. But unlike most songs of this nature, she uses dialog – both internal and spoken – by both man and woman to explain the situation.

The song is again in a new wave style, with soft verses and an anthemic chorus. When the chorus hits, Wener switches from a third person perspective to a first-person perspective. She assumes the role of the woman as she watches her relationship crumble around her.

Sometimes it is easy to separate a writer from his or her previous career. This is not the case with Louise Wener. Her experiences in Sleeper informed her writing style in her novels. And her experiences writing her novels informed her work on Sleeper’s 2019 reunion album. But Wener is an artist in motion on The It Girl.

Indolent Records/1996