Album Review: THUMPER, Sleeping With The Light On

This pigeonhole-busting force of nature head deeper down the rabbit-hole on their much-anticipated second album. Conceived during lockdown and fleshed out in Donegal and Dublin in 2024, Sleeping With The Light On is a leaner, meaner and darker beast than THUMPER's Choice-nominated debut, Delusions Of Grandeur. Described as a labour of love by the band, the 10-track affair features a bruising fusion of alt, psych and noise-rock.

Recent single ‘The Rip’ opens the album with a roar – satisfyingly crunchy, impossibly catchy and calling to mind Semi Detached-era Therapy?, it’s an explosive pit anthem. The punk-minded ‘My New Blade’ is another gem, boasting one of the sharpest hooks you’ll hear this year, while the grungey ‘The Engine’ is equally irresistible.

Throughout, vocalist and guitarist Oisin Leahy Furlong proves the six-piece’s MVP, with his performances brimming with grit, especially on the electrifying ‘Bad Mood’. Overall, a triumphant outing.

8/10