VARIATIONS ON A DREAM

VARIATIONS ON A DREAM, by England's Pineapple Thief, is a solid example of my belief that there is still much of value being done in the field of "progressive" music. (I will leave the exact classification of this excellent album to the listener, because it transcends ready categorization.)

Different critics hear differing influences here, but I agree with prior Archives reviewer Maani that singer/songwriter/guitarist Bruce Soord's laid-back voice evokes that of Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. The music itself is dominated by keyboards and rhythmic, jangly guitars, and sounds to me somewhat like a cross between the Cure (their lush, sadder side) and Coldplay. (In fact, fans of either band should enjoy this CD.)

Influences and comparisons aside, Pineapple Thief have herein released a recording of understated and -- as the title implies -- dreamy beauty. The overall mood of the album tends heavily toward the melancholy: this is not an album to get you "pumped." What this accessible and unobtrusive music is ideal for, however, is relaxing. I especially enjoy "VARIATIONS" in the early morning with my coffee, or when reading in the evening. I find that each of the ten tracks has something to recommend it, but my particular favourites include the lovely "We Subside" (which opens the album with a cello-like keyboard theme that reminds me of a Strauss waltz); "The Bitter Pill" (which features haunting piano from Adrian Soord); the powerful, guitar-driven "Sooner or Later" (a lament for the fated breakup of a relationship); "Part Zero" (a longer number that contains what is perhaps the disc's best guitar work -- somewhat reminiscent of Roger Gilmour's); and the somber "Keep Dreaming," with a chorus in the form of an impassioned plea to "Keep breathing -- your soul is not leaving." (Anyone who has ever kept a vigil at a dying loved-one's bedside will likely be moved by this heart-felt musical "prayer.") It is the closing track, however, that is my overall favorite on the disc: "Remember Us" is a sixteen minute, multi-layered opus which entreats the listener to "remember us when we've gone" and ably achieves its goal.

In conclusion, this CD represents convincing evidence that all is not yet lost in the prevailing climate of pop-idol clones and thug-rap. The days may be musically "dark" for many, yet Pineapple Thief's VARIATIONS ON A DREAM offers "a light in the darkness" that those weary of what they usually hear on their radios would be well advised to give an ear to.