Dreaming

Aside from some soundtrack material during the 2010s, Dreaming is Michael Rothers first solo effort since Remember (The Great Adventure) was released in 2004. That album marked a departure from his extensive back catalog, being his most collaborative solo work, as well as his most purely electronic, exploring a form of dreamy ambient pop. On Dreaming, Rother fleshes out sketches dating from the Remember sessions, preserving some of that albums feel while fusing it with traces of his past work and pushing into further directions. Sophie Joiner, one of Remembers two guest vocalists along with German rock superstar Herbert Gronemeyer (who runs Gronland Records, home to the Rother and Harmonia discographies), reprises her role on Dreaming, and her breezy, unforced flow provides an extra layer of comfort (and sometimes emotional pull) to Rothers languid, effervescent soundscapes. Opener Dreaming resembles a warm summer day spent gently floating down a river, perhaps while under chemical enhancement, as the vocals and electronic textures are laced with trippy effects. Bitter Tang is a Gronemeyer-less revisit of Remember highlight Morning After (Loneliness), with subtle trip-hop rhythms and crunchy guitars underscoring Joiners wistful lyrics, keeping things on the pleasantly dazed side. The astonishing Fierce Wind Blowing and slightly less stirring Out in the Rain share the same lyrics, and both recall Lamb at their most affectionate. Tracks like Hey Hey and Lovely Mess are soothing, carefree balm, while the concluding Quiet Dancing is a Julee Cruise-style ethereal lullaby, gracefully drifting into the night. ~ Paul Simpson