Sleepwalking by Cole Shway

Published in Stylus Magazine, 2020

Sleepwalking is a four track EP that puts the musical talent and lyrical poeticism of Cole Shway on display. What listeners will find on this EP is a balance of gentle harmonies as he sings with authentic passion. Shway acts as master of the strings as he plays guitar, banjo, and bass in addition to singing on each track.

The soothing fluidity of Shway’s arpeggio guitar picking style makes this EP smooth and calming to hear. The album at times sounds as though it has a brush stroke of a psychedelic nature which further entangles listeners into these poems of self discovery. 

Of the four songs on the EP, the last track, Sleepwalking, stood out more than any other. The track begins with the gentle picking of a banjo. Shway tells listeners his story as best as he can while the gentle melodies flow under his voice.

“I feel great ‘cause I’m not scared anymore”' Shway sings at the outset of the song. “To take on the world, to let it in.”

The chorus states simply as the gentle instruments crescendo under his voice, “I am sleepwalking.”

If what you seek is a mellow sound that you can turn up and tune into, Cole Shway’s Sleepwalking is the next album for you. Shway tells his stories through poems that listeners can relate to and connect with through its great subtle moments. These songs will touch a silent part of your heart leaving you looking for more.

The gentle melodies of this EP will take listeners by the hand and into the mind of Cole Shway. This aptly titled EP listens as though you are wandering through a dreamscape. The songs Shway writes are revealing but mysterious as he shares that which is caught in his heart and soul through his words and instruments.