By Dylan Johnson

The beauty in “Dreamland” comes from its attempt to merge several genres all while still trying to convey a deeply personal message. When listening to past albums it becomes easy to imagine that Glass Animals have firmly solidified themselves in this sort of exciting, psychedelic, version of pop. Something one can easily sing along to, but also hit the dance floor and really feel the music move their bodies. “Dreamland” certainly does not depart from this feeling, but rather than maintain the siloed version of their past genre, the group attempts to incorporate deeply personal messages all whilst blending in a bit of fast-paced hip hop.  

The album is, in its purest form, a memory. Not only in the ways in which it stays with you long after a song has moved onto the next, but in its very creation. In 2018 Glass Animals drummer Joe Seaward suffered a severe head injury and ended up needing neurosurgery. While he was able to (thankfully) make a full recovery, this left the group reveling with anxious thoughts and hearts filled with worry. In a statement made to The Independent, frontman Dave Bayley recounts, “I didn’t know if Joe was going to survive, or recover. In a time like that, all you can seem to do is start thinking of the past”. 

That is truly what the album aims to be — the moment in which you are laying in bed, slowly drifting into sleep, the in-between moments when your body is completely paralyzed, but the mind keeps racing. The thoughts that consume your mind as you slip into “Dreamland”. Recounting aspects from youth, moments in which your decisions could have influenced completely different outcomes, times when the world didn't seem so chaotic. The album intends to be a history of childhood, loves and lives lost, fleeting moments passing by. But it presents these ideas in a completely new way for the group. Able to combine the past with entirely new experiences. 

“Dreamland” opens with its title track. Mellow cords collaborate harmonic singing, transporting you into Bayley’s home as he sifts through his youthful memories. As if by intention the song is meant not to put you to sleep, but rather in a tranceful state — mentally placing you into his dreams. No song follows the one that proceeds it. The album progresses from slow singing to dance-filled excitement, and back to melodic memory, almost as if one is advancing through the stages of life and sleep. From restless activity to deep hibernation. 

“Tangerine” is a departure from the title track and almost a resurgence of their old sound. Bayley’s voice exhibits its soft tone but excited pitch. A song that feels as if we are listening to the Glass Animals we always knew. This gives a sense of ownership to the album, something familiar listeners can easily latch onto as Glass Animals, but also opening the door for the sound yet to come. 

My favorite, and possibly the most fun on the album comes from “Tokyo Drifting”. Initiated with the hard hits of deep beats throughout the song, it is combined with an almost raspy Bayley opening the scene. The real fun of this song comes nearly mid-way through with a transition into strong trumpets reverbing through the progression, moving you from the past into the unfamiliar. The song utilizes these trumpets as a conversion into a rap ballad, with Denzel Curry showing his lyrical prowess. Even the most aloof of rap fans would find it hard not to bang their heads, dropping bars along with the rapper. 

I have nothing but good things to say about this album. Glass Animals fans will find a sense of identity still being conveyed in the work. They have not retired from what fundamentally created their fan base, but have executed so much growth. The album is Glass Animals, but it's not, nor was it ever intended to be. They have incorporated memory and growing up into what quintessentially is Glass Animals. I think that Dreamland is the perfect next step — four years in wait we have been presented with a true glimpse into Dave Bayley’s brain. I only hope that this feeling is sustained as the groups set out to release their fourth EP. Maintaining identity through progression.

Dylan is a culture writer for La Tonique.