Kelley Stoltz
To Dreamers
Sub Pop / Tuba!

To Dreamers is Kelley Stoltz' third album for Sub Pop, and he's still working his little pop-sike basement as a home-recording multi-instrumentalist, glancing back at the flowery pop of the 60s and 70s. The Beatles, Kinks, Beach Boys, Byrds, The Who, Bowie, Bolan, Big Star - with a dash of DIY post-punk thrown in.

To Dreamers holds 13 songs (clocking in at 40 minutes), all penned by Stoltz, except a cover of Peter 'Big Boy Pete' Miller's 1965 UK psychedelic pop nugget "Baby I Got News for You" (as done by Norwegians The Tables some years ago). In fact, Miller adds his vocals and guitar to this fuzz-creamed cover recording (a little dream come true for Stoltz, I guess, as was being the support act to his childhood heroes Echo and the Bunnymen earlier this year). Stoltz' own songs twist and turn, rock and stroll. But the rock touch is of the mild and poppy kind. It's far from a Midas touch, but there are a few gold-shimmering nuggets in here.

To Dreamers is a bit dream-like sounding, like if Stoltz is chasing his big pop dream. To Dreamers is made with love and a big, warm heart. It's a fine follow up to Circular Sounds, and even though it's not a ramming bull's eye pop platter, it's for sure a charming record. A good companion when the days are getting shorter and the temperature's dropping as we're heading into wintertime.

Copyright © 2010 Håvard Oppøyen