Album Review: Gap Dream-S/T

It's usually a little cheap to compare a band to their fellow label brethren to explain their sound. While it seems logical, it has a tendency to limit perspective and unintentionally pigeon-hole not only the bands, but to an extent the label as well. However, I know there will be nothing limiting about talking about Gap Dream in the same breath as his label mates on the glory that is Burger Records.

There are various ways to approach the make-up that is Gap Dream. Gap Dream really is the work of one man, Gabriel Fulvimar, who can almost be considered an elder statesman in the certain circles of the garage rock underworld. Those facts are brought up not because Gap Dream's debut sounds purely like that of one man or purely retro, but they do inform the music.

The closest it can be described is if Conspiracy of Owls (70s AM radio loving who released their debut LP on Burger as well) had asked King Tuff to start fronting their band. Much like King Tuff, Fulvimar has the ability to be steeped in the old while still bringing in new ideas (not to mention a slightly similar high pitched vocal quality). Tracks like "Go Ahead" and "My Other Man" really showcase this as they have a deeply laid back, psychedelic feel to them; they wouldn't sound out of place pumping of a car in the the '60s or '70s. Still, Gap Dream is not a a one trick pony. The outstanding opener like "58th St. Fingers" is a dark, moody slice of excellent psychedelic, with just a hint of folkieness infused within it that really just sets the album. In fact, the whole album has bleak undertone to it. While it never overshadows the music, and the album still has sweet summertime hooks and vibes, the sense of melancholy on a song like "Leather" with Fulvimar singing about that "You have your demons and I have mine/Let's hope that they never combine" cannot be ignored either.

However, like I said, Gap Dream never drowns under those emotions, instead producing an album that is very three dimensional. Fulvimar is a master at crafting garage-psych gems and has in turn crafted a gem of an album. It says something that Burger Records was will to repress this album onto vinyl after already doing a run of cassettes. Gap Dream is destined to soundtrack several hot, summer nights, lazy, drug filled days, as well as a few broken hearts, and that is just absolutely perfect.



Links:

Gap Dream's Facebook
Buy the album here, from Burger Records