White Shoe Records (label)
17 May 2010 (released)
06 January 2010
This Brooklyn based band is surely one of the bands to watch in the 2010. Their CD 'I Don’t Want to Dream’ certainly allows us dream while listening to the eleven tracks on it. It is a total roller coaster of musical variety, from the subtle Jack Johnson pop style of 'Little Finland’ to the hint of rock of 'Russian Military Badges’. And they even attempt a country-ish style with 'I Miss it All’ and 'Abigail Adams’.
Despite this musical variety, the whole album stands on a base of simple (not to be confused with simplistic) and comfortable beats and lyrics. It is indeed the predominance of the guitar that makes all the tracks bond together in the same happy style. Tracks like 'A Thousand Lashes’ automatically make you feel happy, while 'I Love the Girls’ is the perfect soundtrack for any happy-ending movie.
Overall, 'I Don’t Want to Dream’ is extremely good and catchy, and it has some really fantastic moments. The production is impeccable, and the lush arrangements of the sax, the backing vocals and, of course, the indelibly lyrical guitar give it an extra musical dimension.
From the very start of the CD the message is clear: live your life and enjoy the little pleasures in it. Never too simple, never too complex; never too pop, never too indie. 'I Don’t Want to Dream’ is an authentic pleasure to listen to and the perfect mixture of styles, specially now that the summer days are so near!
