Wilsen

Dreams are weird. All you want out of sleep is to recharge, but too often, your brain decides to take you through a labyrinth of your fears all night. Despite the album's title, the trepidation that often accompanies sleep is surprisingly absent on I Go Missing in My Sleep, the debut from Brooklyn trio Wilsen. Here, to go missing isn't anxiety-provoking, but a blissful departure from the discordance of the waking world.
 
With Tamsin Wilson at the helm, Wilsen conjure a peaceful haze of sonic whispers. Sometimes they're minimalists, letting empty spaces do the talking; "Final" is a ghostly track about saying goodbye, while on the soporific "Otto," the scattered percussion and guitar plucking leave lacunas to fall through. When Wilson repeats the question, "Did the dark swallow you whole?" you're left thinking it has.
 
But I Go Missing in My Sleep really shines when Wilsen are at their most intricate. Opener "Centipede," like its namesake, moves because of its multiple parts: an undercurrent of bass notes and a thick synth, gentle guitar strums and Wilson's untethered voice all scatter around you. On the other album standout, "Garden," Wilsen's layers are lighter, the percussion bouncy and the guitar melody warm and folksy — there's sun in this garden.
 
I Go Missing in My Sleep is an entrancing debut album that will make you fall under Wilsen's spell.