We
the Dreamers
We
The Dreamers isn’t necessarily remaking the musical wheel, but they do provide
an unique listening experience on the modern scene. Myke Wilken and Ethan Rose,
respectively, comprise the lineup of this Southern California based outfit. Their
songs engage listeners on a physical level while still pursuing lyrical goals
usually far beyond the purview of pop music. The seven songs on their debut
release are referred to as an EP, but they clearly reach far beyond that as a
whole and have the sort of resonance we expect from the best music. We The
Dreamers never over extend themselves throughout the course of these seven
songs – instead, they embody their intellectual approach quite capable in their
music and it results in one of 2017’s most memorable collections of music. Myke
Wilken and Ethan Rose have accomplished much with this release and we can feel
rest assured that more will be coming from their camp in time.
The
opening track “Crystal” gets the duo’s debut off to an immensely stylish
beginning. Myke Wilken’s singing is ideal for We the Dreamers’ material. He has
just the right balance of forcefulness and delicacy, never going too far to one
side or the other, and his phrasing is outstanding throughout, Piano plays a
big role in many of We The Dreamers songs and “Crystal” is no exception, but
the influence that it exerts over the songs never makes them sound more formal.
It gives them a more pronounced emotional quality because of the restraint that
Wilken and Rose show incorporating it the instrument into their larger scheme. “Parasol”
has a much more luxuriant feel despite a noticeable increase in tempo, but the
more commercial edge it manifests never makes it seem like less of a song.
Instead, this seems like a much more emotive turn than we customarily hear from
these sorts of bands and partnerships, but it works anyway because of the
dramatic heights this particular duo are able to achieve.
“A
Spark” takes listeners back to more artful territory than we’ve traveled over
the first two songs. This is never an outright pop song or outright anything;
instead, this has a command of melodic fundamentals while still having just the
right amount of theatricality to distinguish itself from a mere musical
performance. “Wiser” has Ethan Rose’s guitar playing factoring into the final
results in a bigger way than we’ve heard so far, but the songwriting continues
to stress over striking the right balance between the electronic, rock, and pop
elements in We The Dreamers’ songwriting. They close the EP with the band’s
songwriting masterpiece, thus far, “Time”. It is lyrically reminiscent of the
earlier cut “Wsier”, but it reaches further than that cut and aims for a more
ambitious swirl of various musical elements. We The Dreamers have scored big
with their initial release and the talent here promises that future work from
this duo will score on an even larger scale.
Raymond
Burris
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