Jeff Bridges wants to help you fall asleep... and haunt your dreams at the same time.
The actor's latest LP Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes is a collection of music and sounds that act as essentially lullabies. Bridges recently launched the digital version of the album on a special website with the greatest URL ever, www.DreamingWithJeff.com, in partnership with the website-building platform Squarespace. Sleeping Tapes is divided into two sections, which includes Bridges speaking over ambient sound as well as coaching listeners through meditation.
"While working on the Sleeping Tapes album we put in some long hours," Bridges told The Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog. "Listening back to our day's works, I'd often drift off. I'd wake up and smile saying, 'This stuff works.'"
And I could actually see Bridges doing that. What I can't see Bridges doing is building his Squarespace site himself, which he gives us a little demo of in this video.
However, I do believe he actually went out in the wilderness in the middle of the night to collect the sounds. That seems like the Dude we know and love.
I highly encourage you to take a look around the website for Sleeping Tapes, though. It is amazing. Or awful. I can't decide. This screenshot of one of the graphics on the site is everything.
Oh, but getting back to the album. You can listen to Sleeping Tapes in full on the website. The names of the tracks ("Hummmmmm," "IKEA" and "Seeing with My Eyes Closed") are entertaining enough. However, once you actually listen to the tracks, they will elicit so many "WTF?" thoughts in your mind that you will not be able to stop listening. The tracks are basically just Bridges' ramblings, random conversations with other people or ghost stories. None of these make me want to fall asleep because they make me too afraid to.
But get ready for Sleeping Tapes to grab some national attention. Bridges stars in Squarespace's Super Bowl commercial airing during the first half of the game this Sunday. Of course, he's promoting the project in the spot. Or he wants more people to start playing the recorder. It's hard to tell.
If you dig Sleeping Tapes, you can download the entire album right now through the website. There's a suggested $10 donation for the organization No Kid Hungry. In fact, 100 percent of the retail price of each album sold goes directly to the organization that helps combat childhood hunger. The album also comes in vinyl, a cassette and a special signed boxed set on which you can bid. However, those who only listen to CDs are out of luck.
Bridges has previously released three albums, 2000's Be Here Soon, 2011's self-titled album and 2014's Live. So no, this isn't the first album Bridges has ever recorded, but it is the weirdest.
