This came to me as a recommendation from a friend who is more into the current music scene. His exact words were, ‘You may like this LP…it’s your kind of music’. Well, the name of the band was the first thing that intrigued me. I kind of liked it. Then, the title of the album had dreamy vibes. I liked that as well.
And when I got down to the music, I was blissfully lost in the dream for a couple of month or so. Yes, it was my kind of music. No other album played at home or my car stereo for a while. OK, some Wilco, Radiohead and Van Morrison kept making appearances, here and there.

Talking about car stereos, it’s one of those perfect road trip albums from the word go. It kicks off with a sound, which one can say, resembles the ignition of a machine and the dream ride begins. Musically, the album carries the feel of 80’s rock and Americana with the influences ranging from Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac and even Dylan (in terms of singing style of Adam Granduciel, the band’s leader and songwriter).

But the real beauty of this work lies in how the band has taken the old and made it contemporary with the sophistication and precision of a well-crafted work of art. The production (by Granduciel himself) quality is impeccable and no sound seems extra but each one of those sounds lives its required life. A blend of synthesizers, keyboards, horns, ambient guitars and harmonica, along with Granduciels vocals do the job delicately and dutifully. Nothing ever gets harsh…just like a gentle dream. In fact, in many ways the album sounds like a modern day interpretation of an impressionistic painting.

Lyrically, through these 10 songs, Granduciel deals with emotional distress, depression and paranoia, but the mood, on the contrary is always uplifting. While you get the underlying grief inside the songs, they do not leave you sad. The two opposing forces have created a sublime balance, and that’s one of the biggest achievements of this work. While the entire album is one beautiful flow, the standout tracks are Under the Pressure, Red Eyes, Burning, Eyes to the Wind, An Ocean Between The Waves and the title track.

Released in 2014, this is the band’s third album. I haven’t heard the first two (I intend to) but these days, I’m swimming in their 2017 album, ‘A Deeper Understanding’, which is yet another beauty. More about that later.

Year: 2014

Genre: Indie Rock/Americana/

Duration: 60:27

Label: Secretly Canadian

Producer: Adam Granduciel

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Meraj Hasan

Meraj Hasan is a Mumbai based communication professional (and an amateur poet/musician) with a passion for listening to music the vinyl way. His 25 year old Technics turntable along with a humble collection of LPs across genres like Classic rock, Classical, Blues and Jazz (amongst others) are his prized possessions.

He can be reached at +91 9833410791 or email: meraj.hasan@gmail.com