Given their reverb-drenched sound and relaxed vibe, it's easy to describe Cloud Control's sound as dreamy, but on Dream Cave, the sophomore album from the Australian quartet, their sound takes on a more nostalgic quality. This isn't nostalgia in the sense of a throwback, though there are certainly elements of that, seeing as their sound draws on everything from synth pop to pastoral folk, but more in the sense that the songs have the hazy feeling of a memory rather than the dissociative drift of a dream. It's as if we're getting a version of pop throughout the '80s and '90s as remembered by the band, with everything filtered through their own experiences and sensibilities to create a sort of sonic version of Instagram, adding a tint to the music without changing it too much. This gives the album the feeling of reminiscing with an old friend, with every stylistic change feeling like a reinterpretation of events and every psychedelic tick and warble feeling like a gap in the story. These elements give Dream Cave a sense of depth without taking away from its accessibility, allowing the listener to get lost in the songs as they explore every corner of the album's murky depths. With just the right balance of brooding and brightness, Dream Cave is one of those albums that seems tailor-made for rainy day reflection, with Cloud Control giving listeners just the push they need to go into their own heads and look around for a bit.
© Gregory Heaney /TiVo