Sleeping With Sirens

Live And Unplugged

Live albums are rarely essential additions to a band’s discography, but Sleeping With Sirens’ second acoustic (and first live) effort is nonetheless a treat for fans who enjoy the band’s softer side. The performances are teeming with an energy that shatters the stereotype that acoustic songs are in some ways less compelling than their electric counterparts, even as some awkward fadeouts and disjointed between-song banter disrupts the album’s cohesive flow. Still, when the band runs through “The Strays,” an empowerment anthem that’s bolstered here by the voices of hundreds of fans who truly believe every word is about them, it’s hard not to marvel at the power of this music and its ability to act as the ultimate rallying cry for those who feel disillusioned, downcast or just misunderstood. That on its own makes Live And Unplugged a success. 

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The Strays