Former Attack in Black bassist and songwriter Ian Kehoe’s debut album with indie-rock band Marine Dreams completely embodies the bands name with drifty dreamy melodies.
Although Kehoe’s no longer a member of the band, members of Attack in Black still contributed to the self-titled album Marine Dreams. The album was created in two sessions in Welland, Ont. and released Nov. 15, according to a press release.
The album is very fluid, moving in and out of upbeat tempos and heavier beats, but it still drifts off like a dream.
The opening track,” Fold The Sky”, is fast with upbeat drum and guitar elements. While the song has a very friendly feel, it stays true to the dreamy feel with nonsensical lyrics that make you feel like you’re dozing off: To fold the sky/ like a piece of paper/ you need only love/ and divines/ though you will not be remembered/ for your flavours.
The third song, “Season In Hell”, has a more fast-paced beat to it compared to the rest of the album, but following track, “We’ll Get Her Back Into Your Arms”, slows things down again.
After a series of increasingly dreamy tunes, the album ends with the title track “Marine Dreams.”
It’s a slow song that seems to tie the entire album together. The words during the song seem mumbled, and the vocals embody the title with lyrics that sound like their being sung softly underwater. Listeners will her the distant echoes of: “I got an astro plane/ I got red and white things/ I got a fortune put away/ I got marine dreams in the bank,” as they slowly drift off.
The music itself has a calming feel and the entire album fits in with the Marine Dreams theme. From beginning to end, the songs seem to get calmer and calmer and the singer’s voice seems distant and in a dream-like state.
Marine Dreams isn’t like the hip-hop music heard on the airwaves these days. The vocals have a real allure to them and would make for a great studying tool for those who enjoy listening to music while hitting the books — that is, unless they fall asleep.
