ALBUM REVIEW: Primrose Path – Dream State

DREAM STATE have rarely slowed a gear since they burst onto the scene two years ago. Forging an incendiary and memorable live presence alongside releasing the stellar Recovery EP last year, the quartet, hailing from South Wales, are considered to be one of the hottest emerging names in alternative music. Now, intending to capitalise on their soaring momentum, Primrose Path, the band’s eagerly awaited debut full-length effort is here.

If one criticism can be drawn to the Recovery EP is that it was just too damn short. The five songs that comprised that release, albeit all excellent in their own right, resembled only the appetiser to DREAM STATE‘s musical palette, rather than the main course. Fortunately, with Primrose Path, the extended length of a full-length release has enabled DREAM STATE to not just deliver more material, but to expand and hone their craft further. Album opener Made Up Smile gives an immediate indicator to how the band have developed their craft in the year since Recovery, as electronic elements act as the bed-rock to their usual alt rock/post hardcore sound. The electronic elements add a sense of euphoria to proceedings as they compliment CJ Gilpin‘s stunning vocal deliveries and the alt rock-leaning riffs from guitarists Aled Rhys Evans and Rhys Wilcox. All this builds for a truly emphatic chorus, a resounding stamp of authority that you are bound to hear something special with this album.

Previously released singles Hand In Hand, Open Windows, Twenty Letters and Primrose all gave indicators to Primrose Path and as singles they work just fine, but in the context of the album they only hit the mark all the more harder. The one-two punch of Hand In Hand and Open Windows is a real winner as both tracks compliment each other and Primrose‘s positioning as the penultimate track on the record serves up a perfect barrage, injecting the album with adrenaline in the closing stages as Gilpin‘s soaring vocals ebb and flow brilliantly with the music provided by her bandmates.

Speaking of Gilpin, there aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to describe just how sensational she is across Primrose Path. Her crooning vocal melodies in Spitting Lies to her powerful screaming deliveries on Out Of The Blue hit the mark consistently throughout the album and the moving and deeply moving lyrical content displays a real and honest flavour to the album. Subject matter of anxiety, social media and addiction lie at the beating raw heart of this album and Gilpin‘s deliveries never feel forced or fake. It’s a real statement of intent and Gilpin is the driving force to DREAM STATE‘s sound which makes a memorable and lasting connection with the listener.

Whilst Gilpin may steal a lot of the spotlight as the star performer, it would be unfair to completely disregard the efforts of her bandmates. The subtle and beautifully executed twin guitar harmonies from Evans and Wilcox is one of the standout musical motifs on the record, and when the two guitarists combine with drummer Jamie Lee to enforce the album’s more heavier moments, the results are explosive. Wilcox himself embraces new territory with his vocals being used much more frequently across the album. From occasional splashes of backing vocals to compliment Gilpin‘s commanding leads, it is with Chapters where DREAM STATE allow Wilcox to take centre stage. Here, he drives the ballad-esque nature of the track with Gilpin operating in the background, providing a much softer side to their sound and the end result is utterly resounding. It makes for a healthy injection of variety into the mix and further demonstrates that DREAM STATE are evolving their sound into something truly spectacular.

For a band who erupted onto the scene in such a fashion, there would undoubtedly be question marks surrounding whether DREAM STATE could deliver the goods with their debut full-length effort. Primrose Path not only continues the magic we saw on Recovery but it shows a musical growth from the quartet. Having honed, refined and indeed, expanded, their sound, DREAM STATE have delivered a fantastic debut album, one in which surely continue their meteoric charge up the ranks of the UK’s alternative music scene.

Rating: 9/10

Primrose Path is set for release on October 18th via UNFD. 

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