When I first got an email from a band called Lancaster, I immediately thought of a local mall, and then when they said they were from Portland, OR, I was pretty shocked I had never heard of them before. I thought I had heard of most of the good “Christian” bands in the Northwest. Lancaster is a relatively new 5-piece alternative/indie rock band. They released their debut 6-song EP Sleep No More on January 17, 2012. I haven't seen any other “Christian” music websites pick this one up. So...Christcore exclusive! After this I hope for the band's sake not for long.

Sleep No More starts out with a great intro about people defaming God's name. Kyle Dalen's vocals immediately reminded me of John Ball and Dustin Kensrue of Thrice (RIP). I couldn't find anything seriously wrong with his vocals on this EP, which is rare in this music scene today.

The next song, “Lost Boys,” is by far my favorite tune off this EP. The lyrics are hard-hitting and thoughtful and the music has depth. The Lancaster's musical style reminds me of a mixture between the alternative rock highs of O' Brother and the beautiful, intrinsic instrumental attitude of The Sleep Design. All around this song brings it all to dinner!

On track 4, “Life/Death/Petrichor,” they almost move over to a more Switchfoot sound. I must say it really suits them. “Muted," the last song, takes on a sobering ballad tone and makes for a great ending to this EP. It made me want to hit the repeat button a couple more times.

41/2/5 Stars: Sleep No More is a great EP from a promising band that looks to have a bright future, if they can keep it together. For such a young group they seem to fit together really well. Nothing ever seemed out of place or confusing. I don't want to sound demanding, but I hope to see a full-length album from these guys in the near future. Until then I guess Sleep No More will have to tide me over. It would be cool if Lancaster toured more or did a lot more Northwest shows. Lancaster and other bands like them are what the record labels need to start signing if they want to survive.