Dreams! The Dead! Ghost! Future – The Singer and The Songwriter (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Anyone who has heard the beautifully sparse and unadorned latest single, “You Take Such Good Care of Me”, might be asking themselves a very vital question. Given the understated nature of the song, its power coming from the simple intertwining of a pure and singular voice and a lone, spacious acoustic guitar, could that same approach sustain a whole album? Is there enough sonic variation and creativity in such a simple musical palette to create a dynamic collection of songs?

The answer is yes, if wielded correctly and by the right pairs of hands. And The Singer and The Songwriter is the right pairs of hands and Dreams! The Dead! Ghost! Future is the proof.

Songs such as “The Work” prove that it is possible to create music that is both upbeat and groove-orientated while allowing atmospheres and anticipation to work their magic in the spaces between the notes and lyrics. That is the art of this modern folk duo’s approach, letting the non-musical elements work in harmony with what is being played and sung.

“The Dead!” is a gentle funeral waltz, lilting and lovely, it ebbs and flows between ecstatic beauty and devastating melancholy, just one of the four delicate instrumentals that make up the album’s title. “Sound & Light” heads into more countryfied realms, a violin weaving through Thu Tran’s open yet driving acoustica as Rachel Garcia recalls a traumatic loss from her younger days. Things end with “Virginia”, a gorgeous blues-folk piece that seems to drift more than it drives, gracefully floats rather than grooves, although that is the hallmark of the whole album to some degree.

It comes as no surprise that this is music made by longstanding friends; their ability to complement and complete each other, adds that magic quality to their creations. They may be a singer and a songwriter, but they musically move as one creative entity.