A Strange Dream

When Smokescreens returned to the studio to record their second album, the trio had the help of one of their heroes, David Kilgour. Turns out the legendary New Zealand singer/songwriter and member of the Clean was a fan of the band and agreed when they asked him to occupy the producers chair. On A Strange Dream, they craft a sound thats very much in line with the work of mid-period Clean and other Flying Nun bands like the Bats and the Chills with very jangly electric guitars over strummed acoustic guitars, a lively rhythm section, and plaintive lead vocals singing alternately uptempo, hooky pop songs and midtempo ballads that give the heartstrings a tender trill. The band are equally adept at both styles, with the rollicking opener Working Title being a sterling example of the former and the chiming I Love Only You the latter. In between, the band toss out some political pop on Streets of Despair, tackle dreamy, late-night acoustic pop on Night Time Skies, give the Clean a run for their money on the insistent On and On, and drop in a sparkling cover of the early-80s obscurity Pick the Cats Eyes Out by the Scrotum Poles. The band’s previous album Used to Yesterday was much noisier, with loud guitars and a punchier rhythm section; working with Kilgour brings out a softer side of Smokescreens that suits them perfectly. The only complaint is that the record breezes by a little too quickly. Apart from that, A Strange Dream is a perfect blend of both the band and the producer thats an improvement over their already good past work and creeps toward being a heavenly pop hit. ~ Tim Sendra