Thursday, June 7, 2018

“Just Like A Dream” by Bellman – A Song Review

     It’s a five-note sequence that could probably be taught to any one of us, almost regardless of our musical talents. But it’s masterful! The subtleties of any song determine whether it is propelled to a level above the norm. In “Just Like A Dream,” Bellman periodically incorporates a layer of uncomplicated, five-note piano, always in pairs. The pairing is initially heard at 0:08 and 0:17. The layer isn’t critical to the melody, but it functions to keep the listener engaged and to reinforce the song's serenity.

     “Just Like A Dream” begins with the sound of an acoustic guitar strum. The Dream Pop feel is driven by the vocal processing, until the electric guitars begin painting a sonic landscape. If you listen to the song on repeat, as we did, we recommend changing the focus upon different guitars during successive plays.

     Bellman is the performance name of Arne-Johan Rauan in Larvik, Norway. He cites his musical influences as including contemporary Experimental Rock bands (such as Sigur Rós and Radiohead), classic Pop/Rock bands (such as the Beach Boys and the Beatles), alternative Rock bands of the '90s (such as Mercury Rev and Slowdive), and Swedish talents (such as Stina Nordenstam).

     In discussing the origin of "Just Like A Dream," Bellman stated, “This song came to me during a 16-hour train ride through rural Russia. Being on low budget tours can be a challenge, but it can also sharpen the mind, inspire and release the creative flow.” Bellman has released four studio albums, with "Morphology" having dropped in 2017. "Just Like A Dream" provides reason to look forward to the next album release.

     “Just Like A Dream” by Bellman


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