Dream Shake/Dream Shake/Frenchkiss/2013
Each song title on Dream Shake's self-titled debut is named after a woman. What does that mean? Are they ex-girlfriends, conquests, high school crushes, or simply nine ladies that singer/songwriter James Nee promised he would write and record songs for?
The track "Buffy" hints that these names are loosely connected. The fast-paced guitar-heavy tune and the eight others are homages to fictional females from pop culture. You have the aforementioned vampire slayer and characters from various TV shows, such as "Friends", "Degrassi Junior High", and the NICK series "Cailtin's Way."
"Coraline", which I immediately think of the character from the Neil Gaiman novel and film adaptation, reminds me of mid-1990s Sonic Youth, a dreamy and mysterious track that sounds like it was created out of an impromptu jam session in the studio late one night. Clocking in at just over four minutes, it would be a delight to hear this track for a few minutes longer, much like a Sonic Youth song.
The guitar riffs that build up to each song's climax, or chorus, and Nee's soft yet confident vocals bring a dreamy, intentionally nostalgic aura over the course of 30 minutes--the length of a TV episode.
Nee, formerly of the pop/rock band We Are Trees, is a Virginia Beach native who claimed in an post on the band's website that no one will get the references, stating he is "too nerdy for real girls." Well, the nine women here should be flattered that a musician has written some well-executed, short but sweet love songs in their honor.
Grade: A-
Recommended tracks: "Buffy", "Rachel", "Coraline"
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