Review Summary: A very good trio of tracks that show consistently high songwriting ability
That's The Dream is a new band from Montevideo in Uruguay. Their music is essentially commercial pop, with a slight rock feel given by the guitars. This three track E.P. is their first release as a group. The EP was written by Mauricio de los Santos and Federico Segredo, and produced by Antonio Acosta.
Give Us A Try, the title track, opens the E.P. in an upbeat way. Acoustic guitar and Mauricio's distinctive singing form the main basis of the music, with some nice organ and lead guitar that add sonic colour. Lyrically, it is romantic fare, about encouraging someone to take a chance on a relationship. The title hook sticks in the mind fairly quickly, the song overall well-written and performed.
The Only One, track two, is slightly slower with a melancholy feel. Piano forms the main melodic sound of this song, aided by female vocals doubling the lead an octave higher at certain points, which is effective. The syncopated guitar on the second verse gives it a nice reggae feel, as well as rhythmic variety. Again, the lead vocal melody is excellent and is echoed in the piano part at times, adding to the poignancy of the song.
Last track, (Don't Ever) Leave Me Behind, is very different to the first two and by far the longest. It is also, in my opinion, by far the best song of the three. It has both a South American and 60's feel, the verse based around a fantastic chord progression leading to a memorable chorus. The lead vocals are
passionate and emotive, the lead guitar towards the end the icing on the cake, with the band as a whole
putting in brilliant performances. Obviously, no one has let them know they've recorded a classic with this one, so it's perhaps been underestimated due to its length. A four-minute edit of this song should be the lead track of this E.P.
Overall, this is a very good trio of tracks that show consistently high songwriting ability, all the band members making an important contribution to the overall sound of how they are delivered. As I've pointed out, my only criticism is with the running order but, regardless, That's The Dream should find success with an impressive first release.
