Sentinel Events releases new album

Based in Orlando, Florida, Sentinel Events is a concept music project founded by artist and songwriter
Garrett Janks. Alongside Garrett on vocals and guitar, he’s joined by multi-instrumentalist and producer
Zac Raya as well as Doug Charles on drums and percussion.

Together, they take influence from artists such as Placebo, Bright Eyes, Pixies, Radiohead and The Doors to craft a unique art rock sound, wrapped in a lo-fi aesthetic with a sardonic songwriting approach. Nodded to in their name, Sentinel Events, which means the worst case scenario in medical terms, the project takes a look at the world of medicine and healthcare through a musical lens.

Making an entrance last year, Sentinel Events dropped the debut album, Poor Historian, which has seen them clock tens of thousands of streams on Spotify alone. Followed up by the single “Five To One” last October, the band returns with their sophomore album, Trendelenburg Dreams, a concept album that ventures even further into the band’s exploration of healthcare, vivid dreaming and hospitalisation.

Trendelenburg Dreams is a highly anticipated follow-up that expands on the themes and sounds introduced in Poor Historian. The album is a complex and reflective journey, filled with satirical storytelling and confessional lyricism that conveys honest and truly original songwriting. Kicking off the record with a subtly eerie intro piece “Morning Prayer,” found sounds and samples transport the listener to a hospital where the pulse of a heartbeat and muffled conversations of staff underpin a spoken word prayer from a voice that shifts into a pitched and processed sound.

The lead single “Silent Aspirations” refers to a medical term used to describe when a patient chokes on fluid secretions while sleeping, a chilling metaphor that’s reflected in the song’s lyrics as the track presents a haunting exploration of personal excursions and the surreal experiences that come with hospitalisation. Brought in by the ringing tones of twanging guitar notes, the arrangement of delicate piano plinks, laid back drums and soft vocals delivering thoughtful lyrics brimming with double-meanings combines to craft a melancholic indie rock sound.

“Sternal Precautions” injects an upbeat energy with punchy drums and lightly crunching guitars capped by hook-driven vocal leads. Flowing with catchy writing and echoes of pop punk vigour, the track serves up a sound that’s at once intimate and anthemic, capturing the evolving sound that Sentinel Events have been working on.

Other highlights on the record include songs like “Valladolid” which sees the band link up with Elay VanBoer to deliver an elegant folk pop style outing. With the warm acoustic guitar backing and gently tapped percussion, Garrett’s smooth vocals spin engaging leads before the energy hops as Elay’s graceful voice joins to provide a charming duet in the chorus.

“Glass Psyche” offers a striking sound of striking drums, lively piano and bass lines before Garrett’s voice glides in to thread moving melodic lines. With a sound that channels the vibe of bands like Manchester Orchestra, the switch in energy and moods as the ebb and flow of the arrangement rises and falls delivers a gripping indie ride from start to finish.

Closing the album with “Rx Roulette,” a blend of dissonant guitar lines and vocal samples is met by moody vocals to form an intense soundscape that’s melodic and unnerving in equal measure. Building with splashing drums and hazy textures, it’s a thrilling conclusion to the new Sentinel Events LP as the project continues to deliver thoroughly unique and entirely enthralling listening experiences.

Listen to Trendelenburg Dreams below