Finding a sound that fits the specific feeling or mood is a hard journey. The decision can be a career, or life, defining choice for a musician. Stevie Cornell shows off the power of taking different paths on his journey with his latest album, “Some Sweet Dream.” This powerful musical showcase starts things off with “Better As A Memory.”
The guitar gently caresses the listener with a soft tune before hitting the ground running as the guitar switches it up and picks up the pace. The bassline gives the rambling guitars a bounce that eases their rigid edge as it charges forward. Stevie Cornell’s vocals give the busy track a laid-back quality with a cool and soft California-style surfer sound. The instrumental chills out during the chorus, bringing Cornell’s vocals front and center by surrounding them with memorable guitar riffs that echo around the words. It gives “Better as a Memory” track an upbeat personality in spite of its melancholy lyrical content which is on full display during the chorus, with lines such as “broken down, dreaming of California. Wishin’ on a star that I’d never been born, yeah” which make the feeling palpable.
The title track, “Some Sweet Dream,” caresses the listener with a soft guitar as the chorus of vocals creates an immersive atmosphere fueled by the Americana sounds. It immediately leaves an impression with emotional lines such as “some fine day, we’ll be carried away. To some far time where there’s no more crying” that allow your heart into the track. The guitars and soft percussion elevate the emotion with contemplative riffs and meaningful wails that hit right on cue, such as when the wailing that comes in after the line “you know I believe in you, tell me that we’ll be okay” during the outro. “Some Sweet Dream” is an incredibly emotional track that will leave an impression on you after just one listen.
“Last Time I Count On You” hits hard right from the top. The deep bassline creeps up on the listener and leads them through the track with a groove that will leave its followers moving. The drums give the track a nice pop as they trail alongside the plucks of the bass and Cornell’s smooth vocals. They make themselves known with some thoughtfully placed percussion rather than overpowering the track with brute force, allowing the vocals to be propped up high. Lines such as “in love you’re just a tourist, all verses and no chorus, I see no future for us now” and the chorus keep up perfectly with the music, Cornell’s voice getting low with the bass and reaching up to the sky when the situation calls for it. “Last Time I Count On You” is an excellent track that leans effortlessly into Cornell’s bluesy side to make it a stand-out.
“Some Sweet Dream” is a powerful album that’s hard to break away from when you start listening. From the top, it eases you in with groovy tunes that house meaningful lyrics. This makes each one easy to get lost in while they take you away as you experience the many musical inspirations of Stevie Cornell. From an upbeat California style surfer aesthetic in “Better As A Memory” to the bluesy “Last Time I Count On You,” each track has a specific quality that it displays while it rests on its Americana backbone. Tracks that lean into it, such as “Don’t Look Down,” have a particularly smooth sound. “Some Sweet Dream” is an album that puts the passion of the artist forward and being able to listen to it is nothing short of bliss.
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