Matias

This is the first in a series of "mood” EPs, composed by Matias Rozenberg for the fledgling Liberation Musicale CD-R label. Rozenberg is a Toronto music veteran, but a shy one — after a stint playing in the Hidden Cameras and in "quietcore” outfit the Phonemes, he’s finally releasing his own material. Sleepy is — well, supposed to make you sleepy, and it does in a good way. Far from being simply a gimmick, the mood project is a great vehicle for his underexposed talents. Opening with the Toronto Is Great!-anthologised "Small Fires Burn Bright,” the EP moves through the languid, moody "Lions,” a lullaby, and the lovely ballad "Wasted Time” with soporific ease. Aside from being conceptually sound, these songs are individual winners. "Lions” is gorgeous and haunting, and "Wasted Time,” featuring what sound like tactfully scattered baby-noise samples, is a rare success in that it tries to be cute and ultimately sounds adorable. Writing with a purpose in mind is a difficult thing, but Matias succeeds admirably — you would fall asleep to this, but you don’t want to miss it. His ideas are deceptively great — though his sound is humble and low-key, his talents stand out against the subtlety.