Before the Dream Faded in Bloomington, MN

The second solo album from
Beat Happening
/
Dub Narcotic Sound System
mastermind
Calvin Johnson
is a different kettle of fish from his first set under his own handle, 2002's
What Was Me
. While
was recorded with just
Johnson
and his acoustic guitar,
Before the Dream Faded
pairs him with a variety of different collaborators, ranging from the delicate electric piano and violin backing of
"When Hearts Turn Blue"
to the jagged electric guitar textures of
"Obliteration Overload"
and the straightforward
rock
of
"Rabbit Blood."
While the overall tone is low-key,
does manage to generate a solid and soulful groove on
"The Leaves of Tea,"
and
"I Am Without"
conjures up a moody resonance; this is a decided step away from the minimalism of
's work with
and the white-boy
funk
Dub Narcotic
. However, while there was a heart-on-my-sleeve romanticism to the songs on
that was winning,
goes off into less personal and more impressionistic directions on several tracks that lack the same degree of emotional impact, and even if you're accustomed to
's craggy Valium-OD vocals, the deliberately off-kilter harmonies on
and the wandering vocal patterns of
"When You Are Mine"
are a step back from the confident sound of his best work. There's enough good stuff on
to confirm that
is still a viable artist with something to say, but for the most part this is a step or two down from his best work, and lacks the charm and immediacy of
. ~ Mark Deming