David Lynch – The Big Dream

David Lynch has been busy. Best known as a director, he’s also been doing voiceover work (Gus the bartender in The Cleveland Show), writing and directing films for Dior and acting in Louie CK’s Louie. He’s also garnering a league of fans with his music. His first album, 2011’s Crazy Clown Time, was released by those champions of the eclectic Sunday Best, featured Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and showcased Lynch’s love of blues and electro music. His second album, The Big Dream, is a similar mix of home-grown styles – just like his films.

The Big Dream opens with the title track, setting the moody atmospheric tone of the album with Lynch’s drawling vocals, reminiscent of Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips. The tempo is slow and considered, fading in and out, like consciousness. The mood changes on Star Dream Girl where the driving blues rhythm, hypnotic bass line and raspy vocal make Lynch sound like the anti-country hero. A hint of Moldy Peaches’ capricious lyrical style at the start of Last Call winds down the pace, with a sinister undertone developing throughout as Lynch calls “time gentlemen, please”.  Lynch’s love of the storytelling blues is clear on the indulgent Cold Wind Blowin’ and The Ballad of Hollis Brown; the latter has undercurrents of spooky Massive Attack. Wishin’ Well moves into dub/trip-hop – it doesn’t work with the rest of the album and as the record moves back into a homage to riff-driven blues, it becomes repetitive and unimaginative. Too many songs rely on simple drums, psychedelic distortion-laced riffs and wistful lyrics.

Closing track, I’m Waiting Here, features vocals from Lykke Li. It’s delicate and dark, with breathy singing rising to a final crescendo. The ethereal quality of her voice works with the haunting sound of Lynch’s music. It’s a shame he didn’t mix up more of the tracks with a timbre like Li’s, which complimented his musical style so well.

Verdict: ★★★★★

Katy Thomas

The Big Dream is released on 15^th July but you can listen to the album now here.

Watch the video for I’m Waiting Here here: