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Review Summary: The oddball director's impressive take on blues music. David Lynch began his career as a solo musician with his 2011 album Crazy Clown Time, but his knack for sound design dates back a good thirty years earlier. Lynch helped compose the unsettling ambient score to his 1977 film debut Eraserhead, and has been involved in the music for all of his films and TV shows since. Those who enjoyed “The Pink Room”, the hellish blues number he wrote for the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me soundtrack, will find a lot to love on Lynch's second studio album, The Big Dream.
The Big Dream sees Lynch tinkering with the blues music and early rock 'n' roll of his youth. These old school sounds evoke a retro American feel, similar to that of Lynch's Twin Peaks; of gas stations, 1960s Camaros and diners. But with Lynch's nasal vocals and macabre lyrics comes a deep sense of unease. These gas stations are haunted, the Camaros have bodies in their trunks, and the diners are merely illusions.
Lynch's cartoonish voice is the focal point throughout, muttering tales of oddball folk like a character from a stop motion film. As he warbles about prostitutes (“Say It”) and crazy-eyed babies (“The Ballad Of Hollis Brown”), you can't help but picture him in plasticine form: long-legged, his hair on end, dressed in a pinstripe suit. Adding to this surreal atmosphere are a few more modern musical influences, from the electronic realms of trip-hop and synthpop. Though applied sparingly, these beats and synths add a welcome splash of chrome amidst all the browns and greys.
Beyond eerie ambience, The Big Dream also showcases Lynch's gift for writing a compelling groove. I foresaw being engulfed by this album, but didn't think for a moment I'd find myself nodding along to it. Yet on a number of tracks, such as the roadhouse rocker “Star Dream Girl” and the electro epic “The Line It Curves”, it takes some serious effort to keep your neck still.
The Big Dream is a thoroughly impressive sophomore from Lynch, even just for how sturdy and legitimate it feels. An experimental director in his late sixties having a stab at blues music sounds disastrous on paper, but in practice The Big Dream is a moody, infectious and even emotionally stirring album. Hats off!
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Album Rating: 3.5
Doesn't say in the review but I feel I should mention I haven't heard Crazy Clown Time in full
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Oh shit I totally forgot about this. I streamed like 3 tracks when this was up on p4k advance and liked them all quite a bit but never ended up finishing this off, I'll have to do so. Lynch is probably my favorite director (and I've always loved your ava). Here's to hoping for a new movie sometime in the near future!.
Good review too, it gets my pos. I'm still kind of curious though, after the read, why it's only a 3.5? It kind of sounds like you're really digging it, and I know 3.5 is a pretty positive rating but it's also one that I usually expect to bring at least a few comments about any negatives.
Not as much a gripe with the review as it is just sort of something I'm personally curious about.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Thanks for the feedback, he is way up there in terms of my favourite directors too.
And I spent a long time trying to decide between 3.5 and a 4, 3.5 does seem too low considering the warmth of the review I agree but looking at my 4s it doesn't quite sit up there with them either. This is probably about a 3.8 for me, if I had the ability to be more specific.
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Cool, yeah there are some 3.5s for me too that are just really solid and consistent but don't quite hit that 4 mark so I get where you're coming from.
I gotta say though, even though it sounded pretty cool from what I heard and I'll probably listen and dig it, considering he has only put out 1 movie since 2001, I really wish he would've put the creative effort here into making a new film instead. It's kind of a whole different subject from this album's actual content but it's hard for me to ignore.
Is his "The Pink Room" track that you mention used in that sort of barroom/clubby scene in FWWM? It's been ages since I've seen/heard that, but if so I loved it.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Yeah exactly, to me 4 and up is entering "love" territory... I'm really, really in like with this album, and it's hella solid for what it is, but I don't love it.
New film yeah or third season of Twin Peaks ("I will see you again in 25 years..."), the fact he's put filmmaking on hold to pursue a music career and to lecture kids on meditation is indeed a little aggravating. I just don't want to see that talent wasted, even if his newer ventures are successful such as this one.
Yeah the barroom scene! The song with the massive sounding drums and upright bass, that's got to be one of my favourite songs of all time
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Yeah, it's used so well in that scene too. All the music in his work (a lot of thanks to Badalamenti!) is always spectacular, and his sound design is even better, which probably attributes to his own musical ear. And yeah haha I know all about the 25 years TP hope and have my own as well, but I think I'm more of a realist haha  because i really think there's no way it would happen.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I'm fairly certain I've read something about Kyle MacLachlan being keen and also Lynch talking to Netflix about it, but fingers crossed eh? Haha
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
http://welcometotwinpeaks.com/news/david-lynch-no-twin-peaks/
That hurt to read
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Yeah really, it's tough to face (and I don't understand why it's Jennifer Lynch who is delivering that message), but some essential people are clearly not interested and it seems like now is the time for multiple reasons but I really don't think it will happen. We will always hope though.
But of course Kyle wants to do it, he hasn't had a steady role since then (even though, IMO, he deserves one).
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Yeah, ahh well. The ending of season 2 is actually pretty perfect for the show's nature, but I can't help but want some sort of resolution
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Holy shit I had no idea Lynch did music! I'm a huge fan of his films and Twin Peaks of course.
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^how dude? he did the soundtrack for Eraserhead
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Yeah I guess I never thought of that. I mean I knew he did everything else for that movie as far as writing, producing, and directing went, but I didn't know he did the soundtrack too.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
He's actively had a hand in pretty much all of the soundtracks to his film and tv works, and if this album is anything to go by kicks ass on his own too
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
I kinda dug the quirkiness of his first album, but I dunno that I'm buying him as a legitimate artist rather than just a dude with access to the right people/studios/equipment/an already established fanbase.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
disagreed I guess (ツ)_/¯
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didn't know this existed until today
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