Crushed Stars release Displaced Sleepers via Simulacra Records. The album is produced by frontman Todd Gautreau, mixed by Kevin Coral (The Witch Hazel Sound) and features contributions from Jeff Ryan (War on Drugs, St.Vincent), Matt Pence (Shearwater, Midlake) and Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, Modest Mouse).

The album is the first release from the band since 2014's Farewell Young Lovers. In the interim, Gautreau has released four full-lengths from his various side projects (Tapes and Topographies, Sonogram, Film Student). The album is heavily influenced by the growing sense of isolation he feels as both an artist and spectator in the digital age where art is constantly devalued amidst the uncertainty of modern times.

That being the case, it makes perfect sense as to why the album feel pretty miserable. Personally, I found it to be quite a bland album. Even after several weeks of listening to it I found I was no closer to knowing or enjoying it as I was the first time I played it.

It contains 9 songs (43 min, 48 sec), with each track simply merging into the next without any diversity or much to attract your attention.

5

Nick Smithson