Unsigned: Eva’s Dream

‘Fishing for Urchins’ EP (EVACD1)
‘Eva’s Dream’ Album (EVACD2)

Web Site:www.evas-dream.co.uk
Contact:  paul@evas-dream.co.uk

In Brief...
It’s clear that Eva’s Dream have fun making music, and are very committed to the sound and image they construct; and It’s refreshing to hear a band interested in promoting peace, looking back into history for lyrical inspiration. However, the music should be the most vital aspect in their quest to reach a wider audience.  The music, whilst showing many examples of competent musicianship lacks that spice, that spark to make them stand out.  Without a lot more musical imagination and some deviation from the rigid constructs of their song writing, Eva’s Dream will struggle to become a reality in today’s competitive music market.

4/10

Full Review...
Straight Outta Cambridge stride Eva’s Dream, a peace loving, dual voiced guitar pop quartet, with an EP, ‘Fishing for Urchins’ and an eponymously titled album.

The first thing that struck me was the care that had been put into presentation.  The CDs arrived in a tidy plastic envelope, with a press release, a band photo, and a postcard.  The CDs themselves are exquisitely packaged, with Anne Frank photo memorabilia (‘Eva’s Dream’ being a short story by Anne Frank) conjuring a unique feeling of youthful innocence with a little melancholy.

The ‘Fishing For Urchins’ EP commences with the title track, a guitar loop fading in following a spoken word sample.  Kim Steven’s voice begins to paint the picture of Anne Frank, incarcerated in her room, dreaming of life away from the confinement.  It’s an effective but ultimately depressing track.

The tempo is increased by track two, ‘Full of Stars’, with a full, lively beat and some vocal tennis between Kim and Paul Wood.  However, the optimism is short lived, with the third ‘track’, a spoken word performance by Kim, reciting an Anne Frank diary entry.  It’s an interesting idea, but risky on a three track EP, and in this context it doesn’t work.

Fortunately, the Eva’s Dream album begins far more brightly.  ‘Turn & Smile’ is an enjoyable opener, summery and instantly catchy, and slightly reminiscent of The Smiths in composition.

Other musical highlights include ‘Understanding Pictures’ and ‘The Picasso Song’, which run in a similar vein to the opener.  However, just as these are examples of competent musicianship, they also serve as prime examples of the album’s failings.  Kim and Paul’s vocals may not be to everyone’s taste, and are too rigid and clean to produce any real spark.  Also, some of the lyrical subject matter, whilst interesting in concept, doesn’t work in reality.  The odes to artwork tend to come across as pretentious (Paul sings ‘Rumours abound I’m in love with Picasso, but he’s dead, and this should bother me?’), and ‘The Lottery Song’ fails to convince: ‘It’s 8pm on a Saturday night, and you’re watching Mystic Meg’.

Other tracks impede the progress of the album further.  ‘The Last of the English Roses’ features a solo male voice and guitar, and acts as an obstacle to any flow the album had previously gathered.  ‘Hypnotised’ should be an uplifting, optimistic song, but is spoilt by the decision to avoid any percussion.  ‘Homesick Angel’ is the antithesis of musical escapism, exploring the thoughts of a disillusioned office temp.  The bass and vocals are at odds with each other, and the result is messy and unfocussed.

It’s clear that Eva’s Dream have fun making music, and are very committed to the sound and image they construct.  It’s also refreshing to hear a band interested in promoting peace, and looking back into history for lyrical inspiration.  However, the music should be the most vital aspect in their quest to reach a wider audience, and in it’s current form, I simply can’t see it breaking out any further.  They need to inject some spice, some sort of spark to their music, it must be more exciting; I wanted one of the tracks to grab me and shake me until I listened; none did.  Without a lot more musical imagination and some deviation from the rigid constructs of their song writing, Eva’s Dream will struggle to become a reality in today’s competitive music market.

4/10
Mark Lee

Band:                Ian ‘The Dog’ Smith-Hughes        Drums
                        Kim Stevens                              Bass Guitar & Vocals
                        Paul Wood                                Guitar & Vocals
                        Glenn Jobson                            Guitar