ToC Critic’s Pick: Brett Young, ‘Sleep Without You’ [Listen]
Brett Young's "Sleep Without You" may not be your style of country music, but it's tough to cast an ill word about this soulful country love song. Young's smooth California style works a sweet lyric about love and commitment in a way that could make even the most haggard of us say "Awwww." It's good-guy seductive. He's the marrying kind in this song.
Young's R&B influences come out in the sincerity and warmth of his delivery, not the sonic nature of this mostly acoustic jam. He's a more relaxed Brett Eldredge as he tells his sweet thing about not being able to fall asleep without her sharing his bed. Shakers and kick drum provide a pocket that he works effortlessly within. The newcomer is a natural storyteller.
"Sleep Without You" is about having the confidence to let your lover be who they are without worrying about any trouble they might get into. His chorus is memorable for the pictures it paints and the amount of words Young squeezes into a tight space without sacrificing melody. He shows some range toward the end of the song, but this isn't as much a vocal showcase as it is an example of what one of country's future songwriting stars sounds like.
Did You Know?: Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan stars in the music video for "Sleep Without You." Young is friends with Miss USA 2014, Nia Sanchez, and asked her to ask Jordan if she'd do it. It worked out!
Listen to Brett Young, “Sleep Without You”
Watch Brett Young Perform "In Case You Didn't Know"
Brett Young, “Sleep Without You” Lyrics:
“Never thought I would be like this / Wide awake waiting on a good night kiss / Sipping 90 proof, talking to the moon / Counting down the hours till it’s 2AM / Never thought I would be like this,”
Chorus:
“But as long as the night ends with you in a yellow cab shooting me a text sayin’ coming home soon / As long as I can bet on you crawling into bed after slipping off your high heel shoes / I ain’t lyin’, girl have a good time / Out with your girls, girl do what you do / No matter how late, baby I’ll be stayin’ up / I can’t sleep without you.”
“I be tossin’ and turning all night babe / From the smell of your hair on a pillow case / Even if I tried, without you by my side, I’d be dreaming with my eyes open / I’d be tossing and turning all night babe.”
“I hear that DJ’s playing your song / And you’re carrying on baby out on the floor / As long as I know I’m the one you’re coming home to.”