Whenever I see a musician describe their entire journey as a pursuit for perfection, and that perfection itself rests and is based off of Bob Dylan’s works, I can’t help but stop and take note. ‘Ive Tried Sleeping’, an appropriate name for someone who is constantly on the search for perfection, delivers a rocking and cathartic alternative rock project that just screams energy, devotion, and emotional barebones. Charlie Edward’s remarkable life story is nothing short of remarkable and this record is a roaring piece of catharsis that any musician looking for a dose of inspiration and any listener looking to charge themselves up would do well to hear.
Throughout the record, Edwards goes through a whole barrage of topics that you might even struggle to jot down all at once. From light hearted rants about Netflix and Led Zeppelin to more pained pieces about the pandemic, social justice, and even conspiracy theories, there isn’t something he won’t delve into. But it’s when his personal experiences comes to the forefront that you really start to find yourself as a fan. Edward’s fight with cancer and subsequent mental struggles that he discuses with such poignance on the finale, Your Arms Around Me is an indisputable highlight. There’s a rage to this album, but also a calm. Undoubtedly though, it’s best heard pumped up a few decibels more than needed.
Certainly drawing from classic rock influences that similarly traverse themes of struggles and the common man with awesome arrangements like Springsteen, Dylan, and Zeppelin, it is a true rock and roll barebones release. Classic rock fans will delight at ‘I’ve Tried Sleeping’, and as I find myself struggling to do what the album and outfit’s title itself conveys, I listen to this and give myself energy to make it to another morning while grappling with my own struggles and hoping this pulls me out of it.