ALBUM REVIEW: Dystopian Dreams, Utopian Nightmares – Joe Appleford

August 19, 2022 Charlotte Griffiths

JOE APPLEFORD has released his debut solo record Dystopian Dreams, Utopian Nightmares. After his band, BAD SIGN, split up after six years together in 2018, Appleford was devastated and took a break from music for several months, only to start dabbling in writing again to process “a world on fire”. Eventually he sent these demos to his friend and producer Neil Kennedy (CREEPER, BOSTON MANOR, TRASH BOAT) and soon the bedroom recordings became the epic songs which went on to form this album.

In his words, the album is from the point of view of an “attention-demanding character” and Appleford has taken on “different roles to give this record a kaleidoscopic point of view”. Even without this knowledge, without knowing the background, you can tell that this is a concept album of someone’s struggle through life. Opening track Dystopian Dream starts the record off dreamlike, almost like an intro to a post-apocalyptic film, and as soon as the heavier instruments hit you find yourself immediately hooked. Going back to the album being like a film, you can feel all the emotions; the suspense, the mystery, it’s all there and you need more.

To us it tells a story of someone trying to fight and survive throughout a post-apocalyptic world as they grow and learn from their mistakes. There are so many key moments here, so many times where you’ll say out loud “oh my God!”, such as during Leech where Appleford switches to rough vocals that come out of nowhere. There are moments where you’ll close your eyes and say “yes!” such as during Aeonian Fever’s guitar solo, and even moments where you’re taken out of this dystopian world and into an underground live show where you can envisage everyone jumping and singing along to Appleford’s words like in The Fugitive and Sweet Teeth.

But that’s not to say that all the songs pack a punch; Last Orders is a gentler track with slow guitar that you can find yourself swaying along to as you mouth along the words. But then you go back to harsh reality with Love And War and you’re back to wanting to start an anarchy.

The concluding two tracks allow the record to go out with a bang; Mountebank Blues, which has elements of YOU ME AT SIX with vocals like that of Josh Franceschi, features a breakdown around the two-minute mark that will leave you gobsmacked. And final track Utopian Nightmares is a summary of what the character has learnt throughout his journey; is he willing to accept that getting everything you want might not make you completely happy and a reminder that everything can change easily. It makes you emotional, especially with the final line; “what I’ve done to be someone”. It’s just perfect.

This album is amazing, what else can be said? Go and listen to it now!

Rating: 9/10