Is caramel as sweet as we think?

Song Review: Caramel by Sleep Token

CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR: CASSY

“Caramel” has not escaped my thoughts since its release. The most recent track from Sleep Token is both exactly what you would hope for and a surprising departure.  

Sonically, it is the beautiful genre-bending experience we’ve come to adore. Thematically, this song is surprising. While many of the Vessel-penned tracks have been about relationships (whether it’s Vessel’s relationship to Sleep, to an enigmatic figure, or with himself), “Caramel” is his most personal — a glimpse of the person behind the mask. 

Considering the rollercoaster the band has gone through since their meteoric rise in the last two years, this feels like one of the rare moments when Vessel is trying to directly address the attention and strain that sudden, unprecedented growth has created.  

And despite his efforts to acknowledge what he appreciates, it doesn’t look good. 

Both musically and lyrically, Vessel attempts to maintain the emotional balance of the song. While a seemingly more palatable instrumental leads with a melancholic sound reminiscent of a music box, it slowly builds as more instruments come in. 

Meanwhile, Vessel’s vocals get more desperate and, at times, even angry as the realization that the wish he had has turned into “a beautiful nightmare” with “no one left to tell” until it overflows in the bridge with Vessel alternating between screaming that “everything’s the same” with some incredible blast beats by II and slowing it down as he reflects on it all.  

This is one of the many Sleep Token songs that become more emotional the more you listen, leaving you stuck in the beautiful devastation. 

Listen to Sleep Token’s latest single Caramel here… but grab your tissues first.