Madness (album)

## **Singles from *Madness***

1. "Kick Me"
Released: November 10, 2014
2. "Go Go Go"
Released: January 22, 2015
3. "Better Off Dead"
Released: March 12, 2015

***Madness*** is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sleeping with Sirens, released on March 17, 2015, through Epitaph Records. It is the band's first release following their departure from Rise Records in 2014, and features guitarist Nick Martin after the departure of former guitarist Jesse Lawson. It was preceded by the three singles "Kick Me," "Go Go Go," and "Better Off Dead."

## Synopsis

Sleeping with Sirens have been gradually incorporating more melodic, hook-driven moves into their post-hardcore assault. *Madness*, their fourth studio offering, makes good on that promise. The Orlando outfit never sacrifice vigor nor miss an opportunity for a cathartic climax. On the explosive single "Kick Me," vocalist Kellin Quinn manages to swing from wounded and lilting to enraged in a single note, rebuking an ex-lover over sharp, punchy guitar.

## Critical reception

*Madness* was met with mixed responses from critics and fans alike, observed of the record's sound leaning into the pop-end of the spectrum. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score o 74 based on six critic reviews.

James Christopher Monger of AllMusic noted of it edging towards to a more pop sound, and continued, "despite its foundation of heavy-heartedness, always allows the listener an emotional out. This is primal scream therapy, not just tone-deaf rebellion, and even though the subject matter lacks any sort of specificity, there's a real attempt to connect here, and that lends the album some weight, even as it occasionally spirals off into paint-by-numbers key changes and formulaic, anthemic choruses." *The New York Times* penned in a mixed review, "Anxiety about rock's fading commercial prospects tends to focus on its bloated center [...] Throughout the 2000s, it's been punk and its many offshoots that have, in fact, been rock's great pop hope, from pop-punk to emo to electro-punk. Today, it may finally be post-hardcore's turn."

*Exclaim!* described it as "a muddled attempt at fusing both sounds within a single album." They critiqued the lack of cohesion, notably the record's shift in sound across the rock spectrum between post-hardcore ("Kick Me" and "Better Off Dead") to "pseudo-pop tracks," though concluded that some songs were "more promising." *Alternative Press* wrote in similar sentiments, "trying to unite various musical tribes (polished pop, post-hardcore, acoustic whimsy) under one all-encompassing banner."

*Sputnik Music* remarked, "The lyrical content is probably what will divide most of this album's listeners" and suggested it to be commercialized, as their "full entry into the world of radio rock." *Kerrang!* said, "perhaps for the first time, the saccharine quote is kept to a level which never threatens to overload."

## Track listing

All tracks written by Kellin Quinn and John Feldmann, with additional writers noted. All tracks produced by Feldmann.

All tracks written by Kellin Quinn, with additional writers noted. All tracks produced by Nick Raskulinecz.

## References

1. ↑ Eggleton, Sophie (April 13, 2015). "Interview with Sleeping With Sirens". *Huffington Post*.
2. ↑ "Madness Review by James Christopher Monger". *AllMusic*.
3. ↑ Caramanica, Jon and Chinen, Nate (March 16, 2015). "New Albums from Sirens, Zaleski and Miller". *The New York Times*.
4. ↑ Ranjanathan, Branan (March 17, 2015). "Sleeping with Sirens - Madness". *Exclaim!*
5. ↑ Pettigrew, Jason (March 17, 2015). "Sleeping with Sirens - Madness". *Alternative Press*. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015.
6. ↑ "Sleeping with Sirens - Madness". *Sputnik Music*. March 19, 2015.
7. ↑ McMahon, James (March 7, 2015). "Issue No. 1558 | Reviews".