Keeping in line with the "It's Only A Dream" story line, the songs contained on this disc have a dreamy pop feel going for them. As you sit and listen to the artists singing about their dreams, you can't help but feel as if you're in a dream yourself. The music, for the most part, is all upbeat and very poppy, portraying images of happy dreams. The kind you wish were re-occurring.

Richard Barone's "Wrestling With An Angel" and Parker Dulany's "Blackmarket Dreams" have got to be the standout tracks on this disc. The first one is an acoustic folk/pop number that calls upon your subconscious to fully interpret the song. Quite moving, Barone's lyrical style mixes well with his music. Then there is Dulany's "Blackmarket Dreams," which has an oriental feel at the beginning, and then progresses into a soft, dreamy acoustic tone that appears to be half-asleep. Always keeping the dream feel alive, the line "I'm dreaming now" just helps to re-enforce it.

You might find the first few times you listen to the album it'll put you to sleep. That's because the dream imagery it paints is so vivid, you'll slip into a slumber to accompany the music in the land of the sleepy. But after a few listens, the music will grow tiresome and have no affect on you. The songs become bogged down with their own creative juices and start to struggle for your attention. Good for a few listens, after that the album just gets old. I'll give it a C-.

It's A Punk World...After All

Junk Records Presents: Straight from the Gutter... And Into Your Panties

[Issue Fifteen // December 1998]