flyctory.com

Hannah Aldridge – Dream of America

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Hannah Aldridge - Dream of America

Hannah Aldridge - Dream of America
3.9

Rating

 3.9/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Beautiful songwriting and storytelling
  • Unique version of "Psycho Killer"

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Rather few songs

Hannah Aldridge? You might not have heard too much of this artist, even though she has already released her third studio on 16th June 2023. Her father, songwriter Ward Aldridge, is quite a famous part in the Nashville music industry, though. This review focuses on Hannah an her Dream of America, though. Let’s have a listen together.

 

Hannah Aldridge – About The Artist

Hannah Aldrige was born in 1987 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Nowadays, she is living in Nashville. Her music is blending rock and folk with dark country elements. Her debut album was the 2014 Razor Wire. Three years later, she released her second long-play, Gold Rush. This album also lead her on a tour through several European states. Dream of America is the first studio album by the female dark country artist since six years – there has been a live album in between, though.

 

Hannah Aldridge – Dream of America – Track by Track

The nine song album lasts 33 minutes.

1. Dorero

The album opens with the slow Dorero (no typo, my Spanish friends…). The song has been the most successful single release of the album so far, regarding Spotify streams. The sound is not that country-alike, but Aldridge and especially her voice is creating a catching atmosphere. Lovely opener.

2. Portrait Of The Artist As A Middle Aged Man

Yeah, it’s just a portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man
Staring blankly at the canvas with his trembling hand
While back at home they’re hanging tinsel and fighting back the tears
No one’s singing Christmas songs around here
‘Cause here’s just rag mags and some menthols in a crumpled shopping bag

The second track leads to some Bonnie & Clyde vibes (I just cannot find better words than the ones on her Bandcamp site). The song is also a perfect example of the beauty of her songs: very atmospheric, wisely arranged, narrative songs with a deeper sense in it. Great stuff.

3. Beautiful Oblivion

Compared to the slightly scary feeling before, Beautiful Oblivion feels rather positive. The song works nicely with good melodies. The howling guitars in the background are a nice element, indeed. A song with a straight plot, which is leading to a good listen.

4. Unbeliever

You do find certain similarities in the songs on the melodic side. The beauty of the Dream of America is in the lyrics, the stories, the sensual way of presenting the nine episodes of the dream. Like Unbeliever, which feels very thoughtful, gentle, even though it also contains a bit of struggle. Very nice.

5. Dream Of America

The title track of the album is just a 63 second interlude. The dream feels to be disturbed, broken.

6. The Fall

The Dream of America directly fades into The Fall, which opens with acoustic guitar and keyboard elements. The song is a lovely slow country song. Again the album convinces me on the melodic and lyrics side.

7. Psycho Killer

And then, there is this song. Hannah Aldridge is surprising me with her very own interpretation of the Talking Heads classic. This one fits so perfectly into this set of songs. On the other hand, it is so special, just because it feels so familiar, even though Aldridge is fully turning the track into her own one. You just cannot deny that this one is a highlight of the whole album.

8. Catacombs

Catacombs is a narrative tracks. Just some synth sounds and Aldridge telling a story. Overall, these 1:56 minutes rather introduce the closing track.

9. The Great Divide

A lot of reverb and some drum computer and synth elements lead to a very intense listen at the end of the album. Thus, Dream of America stays in your mind. The Great Divide gets its job done.

 

Hannah Aldridge – Dream of America – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Hannah Aldridge – Dream of America – My View

Dream of America is definitely not a Nashville mainstream listen. It is demanding, but also very narrative and fascinating. Hannah Aldridge is doing a lovely job here, which might include one or two more songs. Not a top-class album, but not too much worse, either.

 

Sound of Nashville on Flyctory.com

Here are all postings related to the Sound of Nashville concert series in Germany and the Netherlands:

 

Travel Postings – New York

Here are all my Travel postings related to New York (city):

, , , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *