With an unusually melodic blend of post-rock and shoegaze, Denver-based A Shoreline Dream delve into an ethereal wall of sound layered with a flowing stream of synthesizers with their latest release, A Silent Sunrise. Inspired by acts such as Slowdive and Smashing Pumpkins, it combines both musical complexity and emotional drive in a whirl of changing sounds.
The record opens with “The Heart Never Recovered,” a song with a stylistic throwback to the ‘80s that belies the sound of the other songs to follow. Already with the second track, the album takes a more distinctively modern direction. The tracklist is balanced and varied, with an even number of instrumentals and two acoustic pieces, “Between” and “Seasons,” to even out the more resonant and synth-driven album. The essential elements of any post-rock record are present and even prominent, but there is an energy, highlighted by the vocal work on the tracks “Twice Removed” and “As The Cold Moves In,” that is atypically emotional and moving. The band has a habit of venturing into winding paths of relative complexity, almost as if lost in their own music and unaware of their surroundings. But as deep into this trance as they may seem, they show indubious mastery of their musical ramblings, and successfully indulge in melodies that border psychedelic and even symphonic rock.
It is a great thing A Shoreline Dream has made. The Silent Sunrise is a record that flows together beautifully, rooted in simple and solid post-rock but capable of taking unusual directions without boring or overwhelming the listener. A wistful and inspiring record filled with the melancholy and serenity of the wee hours of night, and perfect to listen to for those who can’t fall asleep—or don’t want to.
In A Word: Glowing
