Imaginary Reflections

Imaginary Reflections is the third album by the fittingly named U.K. duo dreamcoaster, although, at the time of its release, the handle will be unfamiliar to most. Jane and Andrew Craig started making home-recorded jangly, reverb-heavy indie pop together in the late 2010s, then later leaned into murkier shoegaze on their COVID-informed second album, all under the moniker Dreams of Empire. Without changing their musical intent or resetting their release counters to zero, they debuted their new name on the eponymous Dreamcoaster E.P. in 2022. Further, the Craigs played together in the 90s band Luminous, which delved into some of these textures while centering on a "modern rock" sound. So, while this is their first album as dreamcoaster, they bring a well-earned and -ingrained expertise to the table that is evident on songs like the opener, "Catch Me When I Fall." Its echoey jangle, toe-tapping syncopated rhythms, and warm vocals are topped off with a hummable melody that motivates replays. The same could be said of most of the album, including tracks with titles like "Dancing to Your Favourite Song" and "End of the Rainbow," before they enter a more reflective state toward the end of the track list. There, the still tuneful "Hello My Darling" precedes the meditative closer, "Always Forever Again," a hazy song about dreams and memories that pulls the rug out from under listeners by launching into a noise-pop bop about two-thirds through. Satisfying except perhaps for its brevity (at eight songs), Imaginary Reflections was entirely written, performed, and produced by Andrew, with the exception of Janes vocals, so one can hope therell be more to come from the project. ~ Marcy Donelson