A new release from Reed Brake gives off a wonderfully rustic and southern sold folk rock tonality that delivers as much heart as it does character and throughout it all you get to step into a different world for a little bit and enjoy it.
The Visions and Dreams album is riddled with lush instrumentation and an energy that feels almost like a live performance recorded in one shot because it almost feels like the players are feeding off of each other the entire time.
This of course makes for a wonderfully delicious sound and throughout it all they give a lot of warmth which feels incredibly welcoming and refreshing as well.
This record is packed with an array of acoustic instrumentation and driving percussion that all come together to build a certain kind of atmosphere that is most enjoyable, to say the least.
You get everything from guitar and mandolin that give the textures of these songs to the vocals and percussion along with bass that managed to all have their own persona throughout the course of the album.
This is a unique thing because it's almost like a jazz record in a way where each instrument has that personal attribute to it and the more you listen to the songs the more you can't wait to hear the sound of that mandolin or what the singer is going to say next.
What's more, is that these guys managed to really deliver classic feeling hooks that managed to bounce around in your head for hours after the record has ended.
We all love a piece of art that takes us someplace else. We want to escape from our own reality to step into someone else's for a little while and there's nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, that's probably what art is made for aside from the pure love of it all.
And this record has that love flowing through its veins from the first song to the last.
The record tells stories, and, in a way, it almost feels like it's a concept record although I can't be sure.
I mean, I didn't write the thing, but these tracks seem to interconnect in different ways, and I like that about the record as well.
By the time you get halfway through, you automatically want to see these guys play live right in your face because that energy that they have on the record is one that a lot of times isn't captured properly. But here, it's perfect.
You also get the feeling that some of these songs come from personal places and real experiences and that helps them feel more authentic and genuine.
You can definitely connect with some of these tracks and certain ones have more focus on instrumental hooks while others have more focus on vocal hooks.
Either way, you're getting melodies and harmonies, full-bodied and beautifully textured songs that paint pictures, and in this day and age, although I hate to say it, that's kind of a rare thing.
There is also a sort of gracefulness in the performance from all the people playing and that has a way of coming through as well, so you get this great energy combined with a certain maturity in songwriting and it turns out to be an amazing combination.
This is definitely for fans of a colorful and rustic folk-rock vibe because it's completely nailed from beginning to end.
Although there are singles that stand on their own two feet, listening to the album the full way through is certainly the way to go here so if you have the time I would suggest popping on some headphones and jamming out for a while.
You'll be happy you did.
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