{"id":6519,"date":"2018-05-16T19:15:06","date_gmt":"2018-05-16T18:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.progradar.org\/?p=6519"},"modified":"2026-08-21T15:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:55:24","slug":"review-dream-the-electric-sleep-the-giants-newground-by-roy-hunter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/2018\/05\/16\/review-dream-the-electric-sleep-the-giants-newground-by-roy-hunter\/","title":{"rendered":"Review – Dream The Electric Sleep – The Giants’ Newground – by Roy Hunter"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I think this is a strange one!! It was written and recorded back in 2008 before the band was even formed? It pre-dates all of the other three releases from these Kentuckian souls, before they had even chosen the band name!!<\/p>\n

The 16 songs are shortish (for a proggy album) with T<\/strong>he Stage<\/strong> <\/em>being the longest track at 7 minutes 18 seconds just? However, despite their collective shortness, Matt Page<\/strong> and Joey Water\u2019s<\/strong> efforts show the promise that has been realised and recorded in their later releases!!<\/p>\n

The sounds? From a light picky start, the 1st track Home<\/strong><\/em> swiftly develops into a post rock song of surprising quality. Only a short track though @ 2:42, It left me wanting to hear much more from the duo?<\/p>\n

Track 2, We Smell The Blood<\/strong>, a more sedate number with some heavy guitar work – good song but hard to pick out the words at times – that post rock fuzz builds up!! From around 3 and a half minutes though everything calms down again to some ethereal guitar picking?<\/p>\n

Track 3 Father Francis<\/strong><\/em> – a melodic song, Matt\u2019s vocal range brought right to the fore here.<\/p>\n

Track 4 reminds me of some Oasis<\/strong> songs – Ok if you like them I suppose? Come to think of it, the whole album shows some influence from the Gallagher brothers? On repeated listening, one can pick out influences from other sources – Muse<\/strong>, early Anathema<\/strong>, to name just two?<\/p>\n

Overall, I liked this prequel album, it justified my purchase of their earlier (later) publications. Matt has a fine voice and his song writing talent is in no doubt. The guitar work is excellent throughout the album too – the gentle track 7, One Last Fix<\/strong><\/em> proves my point.<\/p>\n

Halfway through the album at track 8, It Will All Be Over Soon<\/strong><\/em> you hope it won\u2019t! The River Current<\/strong><\/em> is a light and wistful song (a Dylan influence?) which balances a lot of the heavier music heard earlier. Track 11 S<\/strong>ounds Like Magic<\/strong> <\/em>is a pure Oasis clone with a better guitar lick now and again.<\/p>\n

Acoustic guitar over a mushy radio broadcast reminiscent of some Roger Waters<\/strong> work for #12, and then that excellent guitar jolts one back to the real world for Soulful<\/strong> <\/em>which, for me, has the best vocal work of the album? I\u2019ll not forget the phrase – Apostle of Hypocrisy<\/em> – I\u2019m gonna use that in my own writing I think! By far the best track on this album.<\/p>\n

The last 3 songs deliver more of the same – high quality musicianship leavened with some thought provoking lyrics?<\/p>\n

Buy it – there is much to cherish here!<\/p>\n

Released 18th May 2018<\/p>\n

Order the album from Amazon here<\/a><\/p>\n