DARK DREAMS

Two things should immediately catch your attention about Rick Miller's latest album, Dark Dreams. First, the really cool cover. I don't know what it is about this cover, I think somehow it kind of reminds me of watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe cartoon from when I was a kid; kind of a psychologically destroyed post-apocalyptic version of Aslan on the stone- table. But seriously, what really got me excited was Miller's references to Jorge Luis Borges, again! He's already paid plenty of tribute to Borges in the past with his album Dreamtigers and various Borges themed song titles, and what we get here is a fantastic opening track, "Return to Uqbar," which pays homage to the master of short story. Dark Dreams is a very relaxing and mostly satisfying album. I would describe it as symphonic prog with a strong new age vibe. The sound of the album is very thick and atmospheric. It is calming, but at the same time I feel like buried under much of the music is a certain level of distress or anxiety which keeps the album interesting. My only complaint about the record, overall, is that it seems to have its ups and downs as far as the compositions go. Some tracks are really fantastic, while others seemed to put me to sleep. Definitely an album worth checking out, especially if you're into Borges and Pink Floyd!