Reviewed by Peter Bate

Despite the uninspiring album title this four piece outfit from north of the border pleasantly surprised this reviewer. Expecting dodgy pitching, biscuit tin snare drums and the like I was instead greeted by vibrant swirling guitars and a nonchalant yet inspiring set of vocal chords producing a sound in the vein of The Wedding Present or Ride. However, Calvin's Dream are by no means your run of the mill fringe swinging indie rock group. Each of the four tracks on this album is distinct from each other in style and mood. The bright opener "Guilty" is in stark contrast to the track which follows, "Come Down Love" - a sinister piece which has vocalist Dougie Guy sounding a bit like a raised Lloyd Cole. As you come to expect from alternative CCM artists the band's lyrics move away from "God loves you and I love you and that's the way it should be" type cliches. Instead Calvin's Dream give quite a quirky reflection on the world (one which occasionally puzzled this reviewer) typified in the chorus line of the final track: "The waiting room gets cold and quiet with no smoking, no talking". So if you need spiritual refreshment then look elsewhere, but otherwise this tape is highly recommended, the band are both original and able - whatever Mr Calvin would have thought of it.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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