The Dream Album Review

The Dream is such a special record to me and blends so many amazing qualities of Finneas and Ashe. Their voices together are a perfect dedication to amazing artists from the past and in some capacity they are Daisy Jones & The Six in real life. With that being said, they definitely have a unique and vintage sound, and I am so glad they shared their art with the world. 

Restless Little Heart

This short little musical note is an introduction for the album. It gives a hopeless romantic feel and shows us the beautiful blend of Finneas and Ashe’s voices for just a moment in a soft way before diving into the full album. They simplistically describe the comfort and contradictingly restlessness a great love gives to someone. 

The Dream 

Immediately upon entering the first few seconds of the track, the little ad libs and fun tone of Ashe’s line “Fuck it up!” tells us that this will be a bouncy track that tells a good story. The whole idea of “The Dream” is to tell a story about someone’s life. It tells the tale of a person who moves away from home to start a new life hopeful of fame. For a while, this person tries to settle down and understand their surroundings. They begin to get insecure about what their family might think about them failing in this new life, so, of course the best thing to do is “lie to your mother.” This person tells her family that they are famous and doing so well but really they are broke and struggling. The lead up to the chorus inflicts a gritty and pitiful feeling. They chant in unison “Hard not to feel pathetic/Maxing out your credit card/On someone’s beverage.” These lines to me are a cry for help for a person that is just trying to make it on their own in a new city. They are desperate for human connection so much that they will spend all that they have just to buy someone a drink so that they can socialize for only a moment. The chorus is a breakdown of the hurt and regret they feel crashing down on them when a new week starts up and nothing has changed. They are still struggling and looking for some purpose and direction in this life. Finneas and Ashe’s voices blend back together during a repetition of the chorus again and into the bridge. The bridge is a whirlwind of all the things they had to sacrifice to make it in this city. They have given everything and put all efforts into one small shot of getting the studio to recognize them but the unfortunate reality is, “It’s all about who you know.” This is a popular phrase people use when referring to the fact that business and talent isn’t really what gets you places. It is all about who can get you that connection or that one foot in the door. It is the unfortunate truth about so many industries, and this song really reflects that sad truth. After this message is shared the build up of the drums are released in an outburst of one last run of the chorus that ends off in a scream but gets quickly and cleanly cut to end the song. The last ad lib section that they decided to keep in the recording is special – it really reveals the creativity and passion that went into the record. 

Moonshine

The hammer on guitar that starts this track off reminds me of a Beatles style song. We immerse ourselves into a depressing pool full of liquor. Themes of getting older and passing time and going through the motions of life. The line “Lost in your gaze, the lines on your face mean nothing to me” tells me that we’re describing the life of elderly people. Talking about things like wrapped furniture, early dinners, endless birthday cards, etc, remind me of my grandparents house. The repetition of “Moonshine” has a double meaning in that they are screaming about drinking mysterious alcohol while simultaneously pointing out the moonlight that reminds people of a different time. 

The Little Mess You Made

This synthy note starts a story of a couple that keeps us on our toes. Short and simple lyrics tell us that this is a story of a couple. A man who accuses his woman of making a mess of their lives and relationship. But nevertheless, he cares for her and says “You can have your cake/ You can have mine too,” offering her the world in one simple line. He would give it all for her. This metaphor relates deeply to the classic “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” This saying typically means that you can’t have two good things at the same time. Even still, the lyrics of “The Little Mess You Made” tell us that they love each other enough to offer this to the other person. The chorus breaks out into a whiney harmony of the man and woman begging the other to end the relationship. The second verse is led by Ashe’s voice accusing the man of being the ruiner of their relationship. The bridge reveals a little bit more of the story chanting “Just pretend/ She was just a friend,” which tells me that someone cheated in this relationship. Both people have passion for each other and love each other, but the feeling of betrayal “fills up their room.” 

The Hudson

We begin inside this scene of two people having an intimate moment in New York City in front of The Hudson river. They are speaking to each other in a way while they think about the moment. It is so interesting the way that Finneas and Ashe compliment each other, singing “I/Your” together. Both of them cherish this moment as we head into the chorus about both people confused about belonging and having a permanent place in life. The only thing both people know for sure is that they have a place in the other’s heart. The second verse is a note of devotion to the slow drums. He would do anything for her. But this is winter, and he knows that their relationship won’t last until the weather is warm. The bridge is a summary of their breakup and their agreement to never close the door on each other for good. Once again someday, they will “Walk the Hudson back to you.” Over and over they repeat “The only truth I know is you” which leaves the audience with tons of confusion. If all they know is each other and love each other very much, why leave?

Ordinary People

This track reminds me subtly of the classic song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” by Frank Loesser and Lynn Garland. It is short and sweet and follows similar themes of begging a lover to stay while she says “I’m not ready.” The harmony of their two voices blending together with faint laughter makes for a sweet sounding song about cliche “Ordinary People.” Taking us into the lives of people on the streets of New York in the cold during the holidays. 

Necessary Evils

The somber introduction of this track tells us that this will be some sad depressing truth. Starting off with the line, “Knowing one day, you’re not gonna wake up” immediately puts us in a negative mindset of thinking about the inevitability of losing our loved ones at some point. The breakdown point of the song begins with “Oh, I’d never feel blue if I never met you/ And I’d never be wrong cause you’d never be true.” These lines are so important because, yes, there would not be hurt or sadness if they had never met because it would have all never happened. They know that all these horrible feelings are all “Necessary Evils” in a great love. The guitar solo in the outro really channels in all emotion accompanied by a faint harmonized screaming and a fade out.

Times Square Jesus 

The track starts off with a description of many things that cut deep and invoke emotion in people. Things like telling someone that they “ended up just like their mother” always ignites a bit of a reflection considering everyone always thinks that they won’t be like their parents. Over time, everyone starts to resemble them one way or another. Describing all of this tells us they are trying to point to the different mental weaknesses people may have. Alas, they get to the personal point that “Everybody knows that you’re my weakness/ You’re an open secret I’m afraid.” This is a confession that the love interest always has a pull and affect on a person. They admire them, wishing they could be more confident in themselves. Keeping the theme of an ordinary person walking in New York City they sing “Every time I walk by Times Square Jesus/ He tells me to confess before my grave.” This gives insight into the idea that every average person on the street has a story and feels things differently. The simple task of walking by the crazy preachers in the middle of Times Square that yell things at you, can mean way more to the person next to you. In this case, the person has no interest in this crazy man’s advice in that they “Don’t wanna be saved.” Ashe’s verse after the chorus tells the story of the life of an ex-girlfriend who watches her past lover move on with someone else. She ponders the relationship but people tell her to move on because he is of course “Too much your fathers son” which brings us back to the theme of people inevitably turning into their parents. The last verse is an alternation between Finneas and Ashe back and forth about what the other person is up to. He stings her one last time when he says she is “Using me to talk about yourself.” This insinuates that she only dwells over the relationship to draw attention to herself. 

David’s Brother 

We dive back into another story post breakup of two people. They are still reminded of each other by small things that the other left behind. They go over the things that help them with anxiety singing “Hold my breath and count to 30.” But still, “Ever since you left, I don’t feel worthy.” No matter what they do to combat the feeling, they still can’t help thinking about where the other is and if they’re thinking about the relationship. Signs of depression with the detail “Under house arrest, dishes dirty” are revealed and tell us that they’re scared to leave the house, but it’s disgusting and a reminder and they need to leave. A back and forth conversation between Finneas and Ashe reenact what the two are thinking seeing each other out. They try to convince each other they’re doing well but really they struggle without the companionship. He sees her “At the bar with David’s brother” and has immediate regret about going out. But the chorus comes and they claim they’re doing better little by little. The next verse shows him trying to go out more and change his ways and have a little more fun; but, he knows it’s not who is. The prechorus reveals a moment of overthinking from the man. He wishes he was David’s brother to be closer to her but he knows this is an unproductive thought. The bridge is a unified point that the two people still wonder about each other and wish they would run into one another. Ending the song knowing that they were bad for each other but still their love persists and lingers. 

Lake George 

The classic grand piano sequence in the beginning lets us into a black tie duet between Finneas and Ashe. They portray feelings of depression and sorrow. This entire album is super clearly not about them personally considering they are both in very happy and successful relationships; the sorrow and depression that they give off from other lives cuts deep and makes us really recognize the individual lives of ordinary people. How every person has fallen in love and loved so deeply that they wish they could forget everything to avoid the hurt. I love this track because it highlights another body of water as a special place to people in love. It represents the high number of love stories that have begun and ended at these places and these songs don’t even highlight a specific couple in this world, but many couples all with different stories. What they all have in common though is the soul crushing feelings that come with losing someone you love. The lines “I’d be just about anyone else tonight/ Cause not loving you is not loving you/ I’d take just about anything to help tonight/ To stop loving you, to stop loving you” show us clever disparity in that these people would ditch their lives and become new people so that they could forget these great loves – doing absolutely anything to feel better.

Someday I’ll Be Back In Hollywood 

We enter this track with the featured artist marinelli describing a young musician that is a part of a band that is breaking up. He plays drums and curses the man that shut down his big dreams. But, there is an ounce of relief because sometimes “it feels like a cage.” The sad truth of the verse comes in when he sings “Cause what else do you do/ When the music slows down?” These lines show us that sometimes there is nowhere to turn when your dream backfires and you’re so beaten down and out of money. But he promises that “Someday, I’ll be back in Hollywood/And you’re gonna pay for what you’ve said about me” The entire song is sounding like a well deserved crashout of a failed musician who swears he will make it one day and prove wrong all the people that said he couldn’t. A shadow of self doubt emerges in the outro when he screams “And even if it never works/ Could always be a manager.” This line proves that even if it’s not his music that is going to be successful, his career will be one way or another. 

Home Sweet Home 

The last track on the album is a smash of all feelings crashing down. We set the scene back again in New York City, far away from Hollywood. Once again, they harmonize “Oh, it all comes back/It all comes back to you.” Neither party has forgotten about the other person and now understands that no matter how hard they try, all they think about is each other. In this track, I see a drastic difference in this message. In all the other songs on this album, the feeling of missing a lost love is guilty and depressing, but here they are screaming it from the rooftops and giving in. They are in full confession that “I’ve had a hard time letting you go.” Jealousy and resentment still lingers through the tangy pop of the guitar and the lines “How’s California?/ I shouldn’t ask, I don’t wanna know.” Through these lines, it becomes clear that the woman has moved to California to pursue her dreams and the man wants to know how she is doing and if it all worked out, but if she is better off without him, he will be crushed. So in turn, he really actually has no interest in knowing.