5/4/2023 0 Comments The dream cyndicateWhile certainly not on the level of The Days of Wine and Roses, this reunion record could be considered that debut’s rightful follow-up, at least in spirit. Having not appeared on a Dream Syndicate studio record together since ’88, Wynn, Duck, and Walton sound revitalized on this album, with a similar energy to that expended on “Out of My Head” and “80 West.” Victor, the relative newbie in this lineup, channels the spirits of his predecessors Karl Precoda and Paul Cutler with his own version of the serrated guitar playing that has been a key part of the band’s sound. That track echoes such previous epics like “John Coltrane Stereo Blues” and “The Days of Wine and Roses” where the band members really show their musical chops. And like “Kendra’s Dream,” the 11-minute-plus title song represents a stylistic departure with its slow and trippy mix of funk, jazz, and Stax-influenced R&B. It wisely branches out a bit musically and lyrically: The opening tracks “Filter Me Through You” and “Glide” are uncharacteristically soulful and upbeat. How Did I Find Myself Here? isn’t entirely a nostalgia exercise. ![]() It’s a different side of the band and yet a fitting conclusion to the record. This surrealistic stream-of-consciousness work, with Smith’s voice now sounding deeper, incorporates ambient-like textures. The familiarity also applies to the group’s reflective side, such as the melancholic “Like Mary,” a song that actually dates back 35 years ago from a band rehearsal and is now revisited for this album.īut the track on How Did I Find Myself Here? that finds the Dream Syndicate really reaching back to their past is closer “Kendra’s Dream.” It is sung by Kendra Smith, the band’s original bass player, and it marks the first time her voice has appeared on a Dream Syndicate recording in 35 years, having left the band after The Days of Wine and Roses (her exquisite vocal on “Too Little Too Late” remains one of the high points on the debut album). Thus, fans may be buoyed at how the new record recalls some elements of the band’s peak circa ’82, as evident on a couple of the moody rockers: the turbulent and punk-driven “The Circle” the exhilarating “Out of My Head,” with its sheets of bruising and abrasive guitar and “80 West,” a dark road tale seemingly inspired by a 1950s crime pulp novel. ![]() The fact that this lineup-joined by keyboardist Chris Cacavas-took their time to record a new album at least shows a determination to make this reunion feel like it was done with good intentions. In 2012, Wynn reformed the Dream Syndicate for some shows with himself and drummer Dennis Duck from the original lineup bassist Mark Walton, who appeared on the later Syndicate records and guitarist Jason Victor, a longtime collaborator on Wynn's solo projects. With some personnel changes-notably the departures of founding members Kendra Smith and Karl Precoda-and a lack of commercial success, the group broke up after 1988’s somewhat downbeat Ghost Stories.ĭuring the long hiatus, the Dream Syndicate’s stature has grown thanks to The Days of Wine and Roses, which still sounds timeless 35 years later and has been reissued twice the group’s music has been held in high esteem from members of such bands as Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr., and Japandroids. Yet The Days of Wine and Roses was a hard act to follow, as their subsequent albums steered toward an almost mainstream roots-influenced direction, similar to that of R.E.M. The Dream Syndicate caused a stir thanks to the critical acclaim of their debut (they were featured in Rolling Stone at one point). When the Dream Syndicate originally emerged in the early ’80s, they defined Los Angeles’ Paisley Underground, a music scene that paid homage to the Velvet Underground as well as 1960s pop and psychedelic groups. ![]() Maybe Wynn was asking himself the new album’s titular question five years ago, when he first resurrected his long-dormant group.
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