Reverence for nature, passion for the little things in life, and the celebration of humans and our planet as one are themes that can be felt with clarity on Riceboy Sleeps. Featuring the work of Jónsi Birgisson and Alex Somers, Riceboy Sleeps creates a Sigur Rós-type feel on their debut album without submitting themselves to the restrictions the epic proportions of the aforementioned band place on songwriting. Birgisson's vocals manifest as soft, siren-like layers that accompany the album's swirling, crystalline soundscapes in order to produce a fragile cocoon of beauty, enveloping the listener.

There's no denying the album's beauty, but the techniques it uses to attain that quality are anything but new. Hammock asked the pair to do the artwork for Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow, and the album's sound seems to have heavily influenced Riceboy Sleeps' songwriting. With all due respect, the additions the band make to the structure Hammock put forth are hardly essential – it may be a nice listen, but it is not a must-listen. The album seems to be a testament to the love that the duo shares, rather than a work of creative might, or even of an album designed for public consumption. The music videos on the band's website are lovely, and they go great together with the songs on the release, but the album doesn't seem to work very well without graphic assistance.

If the die-hard Sigur Rós fan looks to Riceboy Sleeps album as another “Icelandic epic” fix, they will be disappointed. The album's goals are simply on a much smaller scale than that of the bombastic post-rockers. Likewise, those expecting a work that reflects Birigisson's noted creativity will likely walk away unhappy – this is not a record that will push ambient music's boundaries, instead following meekly in the footsteps of giants. If you're looking for modest background music with a bit of Icelandic flavor, perhaps for that difficult time in the morning when you know you should be awake but just can't get out of bed, then this album may be perfect for you.

-Jessica Reuter