(Dreampop, Indie Rock, Shoegaze) Dreamscape - La-Di-Da Recordings - 2012, MP3, 320 kbps

I’m a bit surprised that I’d never come across the Bristol, England trio of Dreamscape before. In my endless searches for quality shoegaze/dream-pop, it’s a wonder how they eluded me all this time. Better late than never I suppose, and I get the feeling that’s the same sentiment that many will be having whenever they take a listen to this compilation of nearly all of the bands recordings. Titled the La-Di-Da Recordings, the comp consists of nine tracks that includes their 1992 EP Cradle and another unreleased EP that was set to be named Greater Than God and prepared for release in 1993 but for whatever reason never came out and the band broke up around that time. If the title Greater Than God seems familiar, well that’s because it was later applied to an EP that would come out on Sarah Records by Secret Shine which contained two (Scott Purnell & Jamie Gingell) of the three members of Dreamscape. Tacked on to the end of the album is one other previously unreleased demo that is a bit rough around the edges and has some noticeable wear to it, but with some polish and proper mastering probably could have been equally as effective as most of the other tracks found on the album.
I’ll admit that I was never that big into Secret Shine and reading and realizing that Dreamscape was mostly made up of members that would go on to be in that band left me with some concerns. A noticeable difference here is the inclusion of member Rebecca Rawlings, whose vocals are perfectly suited for the type ethereal sounds that the band is aiming for. Another is the use of a drum machine throughout, landing them a bit of a Cocteau Twins mixture of mechanical beats and neon/fluorescent melody driven imagery along with some of the guitar centric sounds similar to that of early Lush. Really quite a different band than what would follow for both Purnell and Gingell, and one that could have probably drawn loads of critical praise during the era if things would have broke right. The unreleased EP, which makes up the first four songs, is stunningly good and really a shame it didn’t see its proper release until now. But kudos to Kranky for unearthing these gems and more so putting them out there for fans of the genre to here. I’m guessing a label like Captured Tracks is kicking themselves for not jumping all over this for inclusion in their archival shoegaze series of releases.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember Dreamscape? The Bristol band sprouted up in 1990, but left listeners with only a small EP (Cradle) before breaking up. Yet with the recent resurgence of shoegaze, Kranky Records has released underground recordings for a new album, La-Di-Da Recordings.
Dreamscape sounds exactly like their name as languid guitar melodies pervade through a sinuous background of an Alesis drum machine and ambient synths. All the songs are intricately crafted sketches of atmospheric synths drifting to the ethereal timbres of Rebecca Rawlings. La-Di-Da Recordings is a nostalgic album that could easily be mistaken for a lost record of the early 90’s.
But the record is not very special or inventive. Most of the album follows the same structure of artificial drumbeats and beguiling guitar riffs. The drum machine only serves to create a hollow pang of dissonance that disrupts the natural, free flowing melodies. Nearly half of the songs begin with a lackluster beat that sound of a cheap and mechanical replica to The Cure’s militaristic percussion hook in “Figurehead.” Many of the songs seem to be unfinished vignettes that drawl into a repetitive wall of noise. In “Dreamsleep Eternal,” Rawling’s first crooning words are “Send me to sleep,” which Dreamscape does very successfully. Most of the songs can be skipped if the listener doesn’t simply fall asleep before the album finishes.
Some songs such as “Finally Through” and “So Far From Belief” follow a short and concise pop format and are the most memorable on La-Di-Da Recordings. In “Finally Through,” a palpable bass reverberates to the jaunty guitar chords and Rawling’s incantatory falsettos. “So Far From Belief” mesmerizes as Rawling’s voice serves as a beacon looming amongst a soundscape of distant distortion and delayed piano bits.
Rebecca Rawling’s voice does La-Di-Da Recordings some justice. Rawling’s falsetto is charming to any shoegaze connoisseur or fan of My Bloody Valentine. Her soft and breathy timbre exudes a certain ethereal quality that transforms the songs into eerie and ominous confections. Most notably in “Soft Fists,” her voice goes from a soaring croon to a haunting whisper. However, in certain parts of the album her voice becomes lost in a sea of effect- laden harmonies and overlays of voices. It leaves the vocals indecipherable, turning the songs into a muddled mess. In “Cradle,” Rawling’s dulcet voice quickly turns into an incoherent chorus of rushed whispers and croons.
Shoegaze had its appropriate time in the 90’s. La-Di-Da Recordings tries to reminisce in that time with amorphous guitars, intelligible lyrics, and pleasurable tones. Instead it falls flat as it sounds like a rehash of their first EP. Some things are better left for the past- La-Di-Da Recordings included.