Dream The Electric Sleep
Heretics
Independent Release
2014
Formed in winter 2009 – guitarist and vocalist Matt Page and drummer Joey Waters recruited bassist Chris Tackett, formerly on the bands Chum (Century Media) and Hyatari (Earache) – Dream The Electric Sleep are a progressive concept-rock band from Lexington, KY. Their critically acclaimed first album was called “Lost and Gone Forever” and it was released in 2011. After a short live tour the band entered the studio once again for their sophomore attempt which took about two years to make.
“Heretics” is an interesting album with an interesting sound. I don’t know if I would call it progressive rock; in my opinion, it wanders more or less around the broad sense of what is known as indie rock. At times, it vaguely brings to mind the music of Porcupine Tree, other times of Radiohead or Muse or even Sonic Youth (in their melodic parts) and U2 (in their weird parts). While none of the tracks ever gets too technical or complicated, the problem with “Heretics” is that there are a few points where it does get just a bit boring.
I don’t really know how else to describe the record. It’s the sort of album the kid you look up to at school listens to, and you feel you have to say you like it as well so that the rest of the class won’t think you’re clueless when it comes to music. Listening to their music and bearing the band’s name in mind, I suspect that Dream The Electric Sleep care more about being artistic and non-conformist than writing a hit song that would easily be played on the radio. That’s fine with me of course. I mean good for them, who am I to judge?
The only problem is that I couldn’t listen to its entirety in one sitting. I found that most of the tracks have these high-pitched guitar parts which seem to drag on a little too long resulting in them flirting with becoming irritating. To be more exact, the second half of “The Name You Fear” or “Utopic” or “To Love is to Leave” did lay the groundwork for a world class headache. In general, I think that most songs here would have been much better if they were one or two minutes shorter.
Yet at the same time there’s no denying that “Heretics” is a nice record. Is it brilliant? No. But it sure has a clear artistic significance. I just wish that it featured a little more groove (not a lot, just a bit more), then it would have been an amazing album.
“Heretics” is an interesting album with an interesting sound. I don’t know if I would call it progressive rock; in my opinion, it wanders more or less around the broad sense of what is known as indie rock. At times, it vaguely brings to mind the music of Porcupine Tree, other times of Radiohead or Muse or even Sonic Youth (in their melodic parts) and U2 (in their weird parts). While none of the tracks ever gets too technical or complicated, the problem with “Heretics” is that there are a few points where it does get just a bit boring.
I don’t really know how else to describe the record. It’s the sort of album the kid you look up to at school listens to, and you feel you have to say you like it as well so that the rest of the class won’t think you’re clueless when it comes to music. Listening to their music and bearing the band’s name in mind, I suspect that Dream The Electric Sleep care more about being artistic and non-conformist than writing a hit song that would easily be played on the radio. That’s fine with me of course. I mean good for them, who am I to judge?
The only problem is that I couldn’t listen to its entirety in one sitting. I found that most of the tracks have these high-pitched guitar parts which seem to drag on a little too long resulting in them flirting with becoming irritating. To be more exact, the second half of “The Name You Fear” or “Utopic” or “To Love is to Leave” did lay the groundwork for a world class headache. In general, I think that most songs here would have been much better if they were one or two minutes shorter.
Yet at the same time there’s no denying that “Heretics” is a nice record. Is it brilliant? No. But it sure has a clear artistic significance. I just wish that it featured a little more groove (not a lot, just a bit more), then it would have been an amazing album.