Dream The Electric Sleep

Lost And Gone Forever

Written by: PP on 05/10/2011 05:24:08

Dream The Electric Sleep are a progressive concept-rock band from Lexington, KY in the vein of seminal bands in the genre like Rush, Genesis, Pink Floyd, etc, who the band also proudly claim as their main influences alongside Radiohead, U2 and Led Zeppelin. But it's the first three bands that make their influence known throughout "Lost And Gone Forever", one of the most impressive debut albums I've come across. Every detail and aspect of the record has been honed to perfection, resulting in a collection of fourteen songs and more than 75 minutes of sonic beauty and progressive rock that, for once in this genre, doesn't put its listener to sleep despite averaging well beyond six minutes per song.

"Lost And Gone Forever" has been two full years in the making, which is why it sounds so well-produced and articulate. From the songwriting itself to the structure and dynamics in each song, it's easy to tell that the two years haven't gone to waste, as listening to the album is more akin to an intellectual experience rather than 75 minutes worth of entertainment. The music within is often so beautiful and astonishing in terms of how it flows together - think of classic Rush here - that it all becomes an immersive musical experience in which your surroundings stop to matter when you get sucked into the soothing world of DTES. Their attention to minute detail is impressive, yet they avoid falling into the trap of needless technical wizardry, and are able to step back and present a thorough and cohesive overall picture where layered melodies are laid on top of each other in perfection, connecting with varying kinds of moods and atmospheres, though never stepping too far away from the Genesis/Rush/Pink Floyd realm. It's as if every note is in its right place, so it becomes increasingly difficult to put the record down once you get into it, because the experience is so immersive and attention-capturing.

That being said, 75 minutes of structured progressive rock that sounds like it came straight from the 70s/80s golden era of the genre may be a bit too much to handle for most people in 2011. No matter how skillfully DTES guide us through their musically perfect soundscapes, one can't help but wonder who would have the time to listen to the whole album from start to finish on a regular basis, something which is required to fully appreciate what the band are trying to do here. So while this is progressive rock at it's most impressive, the genre is at the end of the road, where it's little more than a niché for those with too much time in their hands and who appreciate artistic integrity, and pure quality of composition over catchy songs and easy fixes of entertainment.

7

Download: Available for free
For the fans of: Rush, Pink Floyd, Genesis
Listen: Bandcamp

Release date 01.04.2011
Self-Released

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