After all, O'Neal, his drumming brother Chad O'Neal, and bassist pal Dan Perdue are young guys, too. Sunlight bursts through the moody clouds in the form of 'Skeleton of Something More''s irresistible chorus melody, while the shimmering dream pop of 'Brightly' and 'Night Must End' suggests the rakish, sometimes raucous sound of young U.K.

'Like a moth to the flames/We become helpless.' But as questioning of galactic forces as Sleeping at Last can be, it's also a band full of limpid, bright-eyed hope. After an overture, it ends in a cracked whisper. But the song's insular Radiohead austerity tinges O'Neal's prayer with something darker. 'God will you help us understand the meaning of it all?' O'Neal sings on the piano-driven title track. Like that band, Sleeping at Last came out of the alternative CCM movement, and this is apparent in lyrics that dwell on spiritual and faith issues. It's this ambitious board work that takes tracks like 'Say' and 'Currents' to a dreamland far beyond the yearning yet straightforward modern rock of a group like Lifehouse.

The trio has an obvious admiration for the atmospherics of Unforgettable Fire-era U2, and Ryan O'Neal's quivering vocals mesh well with the sheets of luxurious reverb and yearning strings that haunt the corners of Ghosts. On Ghosts, its debut for Interscope, Chicago's Sleeping at Last nestles its earnest little songs into a lush fold of production wizardry. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

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