What is a "Sleep Recital"? Pretty much anything you want to be. "We try to keep the specific meaning of the band name to ourselves," says vocalist/guitarist Nathan McAllister. "We like hearing other people's interpretations of it. We've gotten everything from a theatrical play of sleeping actors to a funeral."

Don't be surprised, though, if you spend an inordinate amount of time mulling this over. Once you get a chance to listen to this Miami-based band's take on dramatic dream pop, you'll be hard-pressed to want to listen to much else. Inspired as much by the worlds of '80s icons like The Cure and Peter Gabriel as they are by the current strain of shoegaze and electronic pop (Sigur Ros, M83), this quartet—McAllister, keyboardist/guitarist Nathan Pritchard, bassist Sean Fraser, and drummer Brian Seffer—have together developed an engaging and exciting sound. The band build each song on an acoustic foundation, to emphasize each song's melodic bona fides before building them into lush, rich compositions awash with synth waves, McAllister's combination of skyscraping guitar work and earthy vocals, and Seffer's prog-inspired drumming.

Lyrically, Sleep Recital go even deeper than their emotion-rich music. "Most of our songs are inspired by personal experiences and events that need to be expressed for catharsis," says McAllister.

On their self-titled debut, that means everything from very intimate family and relationship issues to the more universal expressions of self-acceptance and seeking a place to fit in in the world. The band plans on opening up their collective heart and soul even more with their second album Relationship, an exploration of the highs and lows of human interaction with lovers, family members, and friends.

All of this comes to bear when Sleep Recital perform live. The four capture that perfect dynamic of four souls coming together to create a collective release for both themselves and whatever audience is fortunate enough to get ensnared in their sonic tendrils. For right now, it's only the people of the Sunshine State that are getting to experience the band in its live form. Soon enough, though, the rest of the world will be singing their praises. Join in the chorus, won't you?