Lucidly Dreaming Synth Pop

Backseat Dreamer: Sean Neuse

Have you ever had the experience of lucid dreaming? Lucid dreaming is being aware that you’re dreaming and being able to

control your dreams to a certain extent. From what I understand, it can often allow for a much more vivid and unique experience. I have personally never had a lucid dream, but I think I got an idea of what it might be like from listening to Sean Neuse’s own waking, aural lucid dream. By no strange coincidence, Sean Neuse goes by the recording name Backseat Dreamer, and his recent release The Colors of Dreams, They’re in You is filled with soaring synths that could very well cause your own waking lucid dream.

I know that last paragraph used the word “dream” a lot, but stick with me. I’ll try to avoid it for a while. Instead, let’s focus on the groove of the album. From the beginning of very the first track, “Moment in Time,” the warm, flowing vibe of the old-school synth keyboards and the pulsating, thumping rhythm of the percussion will simultaneously relax you and make you want to get out on the dance floor. Some songs, such as “For Starry Eyes,” definitely lean much more towards the relaxing side while others, such as “Consider,” lean more towards upbeat and danceable.

One thing that is always consistent throughout the entire album, with the exception of the short instrumental track “Hold Me Awake,” is Backseat Dreamer’s soft, echoing voice. I’ll admit, his style of singing bugged me at first, but I think that might have been caused by my expectations of an entirely instrumental electronica album. But I quickly realized that his voice, with it’s distinctly 80’s styled nasal crooning, fit in perfectly with the instrumentation and further enhanced the dreaminess of the music.

And one thing you’ve already heard me mention a few times already is how much of an old-school vibe this album gives off. It almost sounds like The Colors of Dreams is a collection of music from the 1980’s that has been rediscovered 20 to 30 years in the future and repurposed for our contemporary tastes, so there is a certain nostalgic quality to Backseat Dreamer’s tunes.

So if you’re looking for something dreamy, something relaxing, something catchy with a nice beat, or just something that will give a nice sense of nostalgia for the synth pop of the 80’s, then you should definitely check out The Colors of Dreams, They’re in You by Backseat Dreamer.

Purchase The Colors of Dreams, They’re in You by Backseat Dreamer at Stickfigure Recordings, Amazon, or iTunes!

Backseat Dreamer – Moment in Time
Backseat Dreamer – Consider
Backseat Dreamer – Real Inside You

Also make sure to check out Backseat Dreamer on Facebook, last.fm, and Stickfigure Recordings.