We
The Dreamers - We all Need Time (EP)
We
The Dreamers bring a bi-coastal musical vision to life on their seven song
debut "We all Need Time" EP. Myke Wilken and Ethan Rose hail from very different
musical backgrounds, but they find common ground in the way that they view life
and how that relates to their development of songs. Their songwriting
specializes in intimacy, but it also has a talent for casting an universal air
over the musical proceedings that means anyone can sit down with this release
and find their way into its experiences. Wilken’s upbringing in the Southern
California area and Rose’s in the upstate New York area never shows any hints of
a mismatch – instead, their musical visions come together without so much as a
hiccup. There’s a great balance of different instruments holding sway over the
songwriting and nothing ever wins out at the expense of other sounds. This is
an album that’s a winner from the start and built on the back of its first
single “Time”.
“Crystal”
starts off the self-titled debut with just the right amount of pop excellence
and intelligence. There’s a great deal of care that’s been obviously exercised
with this collection’s lyrics and Myke Wilken exercises tremendous attention
with his phrasing. Wiken stresses the right syllables, cuts off others, and
obviously spends a great deal of energy listening to what his collaborator Rose
is laying out. “Parasol” changes things up a little more. It does have quite
the same amount of patience that we hear in the opener “Strawberry Dream” has a
more retro approach than the other songs on this collection. The weaving of
acoustic and electric guitar, the former dominating, makes this stand out from
the remainder of the songs and the recordings brings those different sonic
elements together in a satisfying way. The vocals here are particularly
notable. Wilken elevates his game to match the emphatic nature of the musical
arrangement and matches its mood without ever laying things on too much.
“Wiser”
doesn’t necessarily til new musical and lyrical ground, but the musical stamp
that We The Dreamers put on these preceding make it a decidedly different
affair than we’ve heard so far on the debut, Wilken’s confidence is audible,
but he never goes too far and gives just the right amount of personality to the
performance. The finale “Time” is a natural selection for the album’s first
single and it comes off as a much more fully realized idea of what the band’s
music wants to be. The guitars, synth, keyboard, and melodic forces in this
song all work in perfect sympathy with one another and it results in the EP’s
finest all around performance. Debuts seldom come better than this. Myke Wilken
and Ethan Rose have unusual chemistry both as writers and performers, but what
comes across most strongly from this collection is the connection they have as
individuals. The seven songs on the duo’s debut underline and promise even
greater things to come.
Pamela
Bellmore
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