Tiny Ruins (& David Lynch)
Dream Wave
Flying Nun Records / Bella Union / Spunk!

This single came some months ago, in June when Tiny Ruins presented their collaboration with legendary film director/screenwriter (as well as visual artist, composer, usic producer, and musician) David Lynch. Mr Lynch? Wow. Eraserhead. Blue Velvet. Twin Peaks. Lost Highway. Mulholland Drive etc. So, what's the story then, with Lynch and Tiny Ruins joining forces? Thing is, Lynch dropped (via Twitter) that he was a fan of Hollie Fullbrook's Tiny Ruins. Some months later while touring in the US, singer/songwriter Fullbrook (a.k.a. Tiny Ruins) learnt that Mr Lynch wanted to record the song "Dream Wave", which had been on a demo Lynch had got forwarded by Fullbrook's friend Ella Yelich O'Connor, better known as the New Zealand artist Lorde.

Fullbrook and Lynch worked at his Asymmetrical Studios, Hollywood Hills, LA, recording and making "Dream Wave" what it is. A calm, laidback folk-rock song both with a spooky feel as well as being a straightforward sweet and beautiul song. According to the label, the song's got this 'sense of uneasy nostalgia Lynch is known for'. The players were Fullbrook (on guitar and vocals), plus Dean Hurley (on bass, percussion, and effects). Lynch recorded, mixed and produced the tracks, along with rec and mix assistance by Hurley, who is Lynch's closest musical collaborator. I guess the song sounds like its two words: 'Dream' and 'Wave'. It's indeed a comfortable song. I guess this eerie nostalgia feel also pours out of the single's instrumental flip-side, simply called "Dream Wave (Instrumental)", even though this track was recorded at home in New Zealand and produced by Tiny Ruins (performed by Holly and her players: bass player Cass Basil, drummer Alex Freer, and guitarist Tom Healy). Lynch probably smitted his 'nostalgia feel' onto the song while in USA.

Fullbrook has so far released two fine albums as Tiny Ruins, Some Were Meant for Sea (2012) and Brightly Painted One (2014). Last year saw the collaboration between Holbrook and and Kiwi rock legend Hamish Kilgour, for the enchanting Hurtling Through mini album. You'd better surf the 'dream wave' while awaiting Fullbrook's next move as a hushed pop artist.

Copyright © 2016 Howard Popeye