CD: Dreamhome

Home: New York

Style: Atmospheric Rock

Quote: "A layered, dreamy musical experience that puts the audience in an altered state."


By Heidi Drockelman

Moody. Melancholic. My Bloody Valentine meets Morrissey. DREAMHOME inspires even the most converted ex-goths back to a time when the music acted as a transporter into another realm of the stratosphere. Self-dubbed as "shoe gazing alternative pop", Velvet Sun certainly accomplishes this goal. As with MBV and the king of mope rock, NYC resident Scott Weinkle sets out to create a layered, dreamy musical experience that puts his audience in an altered state, one that makes you feel refreshed after his trance-like hold lets up upon the close of the record.

It's a high honor indeed to even be mentioned in the same paragraph as My Bloody Valentine, oft-considered one of the most influential and truly unique configurations of a band in their era. MBV's material was tactile and visual, and Weinkle sets lofty goals for himself to follow this type of pursuit. Luckily, for both himself and us, he has the fortitude and musical constitution to meet those goals. This record isn't without flaws, but it's not important because the experience here, of conjuring up visuals to match the sweeping audio, is the real deal. This is the type of music that you might not readily throw on at a party, but it's introspective fodder for those who miss a bit of true beautiful melancholy in their music. It's not a quality you can attribute or pinpoint specifically within individual musicians, either you have the ability to translate this emotive quality or you don't. And this music lends itself to a sincerity and metamorphic persona, one that provides a relief from formulaic mainstream rock and pop, exploring more depth in sampling and layering. Stripping away layer upon layer will reveal a different perspective on sound with each listen, and provides a surprisingly satisfying listening experience. It's about creating an alternative atmosphere and living fully in that space for the completion of a melody.

"Mirage" is a wonderful homage to Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Curtains" shimmers, "Cloud 99" bewitches, and "Atmosphere" slides into the subconscience. A must-listen for hardcore, post-punk alternative music fans.