Review Summary: Glimpsing the evening vistas.
Distant Dream want to delicately kindle your mind. Marcin Majrowski, the solo visionary behind said project, reaches towards this not-so-distant goal in a way that absolutely caters to fans of the post and prog schools of thought. With no vocals to speak of, we are left with a sonically focused soundscape to hopefully enchant us for its brisk 40 minutes. This is achieved through a combination of prog metal guitar rhythms offset by post rock lapses. The former comprises the meat and bones of
It All Starts from Pieces, allowing it to don a full-bodied and adventure-seeking persona. Granted, it sounds more adventurous than it actually is, but there’s a sense of longing for discovery laced throughout each track, as if to humor the idea of leaving the world you know behind. That humoring grows strong, however, as your thoughts compel you to realize your newfound and revitalized whims. Combine these with a few calmer, more meditative moments and you have a recipe for deep pondering to reinforce the journey you wish to embark upon.
Yet these surges of thought, emotion and desire, like the post lapses themselves, are barely more than momentary--the dream pulls you in only to wander off into the distance. The end result is a readily consumable album with a fleeting sense of fulfillment; plenty of potential left to simmer, but never allowed to boil. It’s a decidedly waste-not approach. Some will hear this play out and grin with a sense of relief, since many bands of a similar variety get carried away in their own indulgences. Others will come away with a stinging hunger for something more layered, a grander dive into the elegantly teased-at unknowns. In either case, it’s a joy to return to time and time again, but like a great teaser trailer, it can only indulge the voracious listener for so long.
