Through Pollyanna and Undergrove, Alaska & Aurora has always been a name that draws you in – these songs speak to the soul, and this music embraces the body that contains it with dreamlike warmth and a vibrant sense of possibility. Though all of their previous releases have appealed for these reasons, it still has to be said, that Dream Fever is effectively in its own league entirely.
The soundscape, the detail, the clean-cut vocal, and the opening lyrics in particular, all creates an immediate connection with the listener, that’s close to impossible to turn away from.
What’s great about the song after these opening moments, is how unpredictable the build-up is – how satisfying it proves, and how ultimately unconfined Alaska & Aurora truly are; by genre, by audience, or indeed by any other factors outside of the creative muse and its desire to make art, to express feelings and ideas.
From the trip-hop soaked intro, through the full-throttle, almost folk-pop, pop-rock / big band drop of the later sections, the song meanders throughout territory ruled by pop and alternative music alike. There’s just enough poetic intrigue to give the whole thing edge, and there’s more than enough skill and character in the voice, the story, and the entire set-up, to really offer something of meaning and worth.
When Dream Fever ends, the incoming silence is almost too much to bear. The thoughts and feelings conjured up by the experience linger and isolate in a manner that begs for you to dive back into the music.
A beautiful release, an easy hit, and more than worthy of air-play alongside the best of them.
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