Daydreams and Memories
Agnes. That's where it all started for Glass Animals' frontman Dave Bayley.
That was the first track where Glass Animals (GA) wrote an autobiographical song, detailing the experiences of Bayley with losing a friend. The song became a fan favourite, leading the band to reconsider their writing style.
Bayley mentioned in a previous interview how writing about personal experiences felt selfish, and he wanted to highlight the stories and experiences of other people. But realising how telling one's own story is truly what distinguishes a band from the others.
The result is Dreamland.
Conceived around the time when their drummer and childhood friend, Joe Seaward was recovering from a very serious accident, Dreamland is a collection of stories from their life experiences.
The tracks Tokyo Drifting, Your Love, Dreamland, Heat Waves and It's All So Incredibly Loud were all released as singles beforehand, and are without a doubt some of the best tracks off the album.
But the true brilliance is when someone listens to the entire album from start to finish, you get this single cohesive experience as if you just watched a movie featuring the lives of a few different characters, all of whose lives are somewhat intertwined.
This movie aesthetic is further enhanced by the break/interlude tracks set between the songs, all of which are taken from old home movies of Bayley's family.
Throughout the album, the band explores themes of friendship, abuse, relationships, mortality, etc.
The production of the songs is fantastic as well. From the use of synths to samples, everything feels like it serves a purpose and isn't just a complicated layer of sound trying to be pretentious.
Melon and the Coconut and Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth feel a little weak in comparison to the other tracks, but not to a fault. Instead, you are left with a deep appreciation for every other track on the album, all of which are memorable.
In an era where synthwave, psych-pop, electro and all its other sub-genres have saturated the music industry, GA has always been a breath of fresh air. And Dreamland stands as a testament to just how talented the band is.
Anyone who is too impatient to listen to the whole album from start to finish should give Heat Waves and Tangerine to just get an idea of the vibe this album gives off.
When Aaqib isn't writing, he is making bizarre cat memes. Follow him on Instagram @aaqibhasib
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