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Today, psych-pop multi-instrumentalist Elijah Montez, the frontman and sole songwriter of Daydream Review, dreams about the end of the world on new single, “Dream Sequence #29," out everywhere now. The single is Daydream Review's follow-up release to last month's "Sensory Deprivation" via Side Hustle Records. A limited run collection of 7" lathe cut records of both singles, in collaboration with local Chicago label, Ur Mom Records, are available now on Bandcamp here.
"Dream Sequence #29," written, recorded and produced by Montez, brings his strange, apocalyptic dreams into his musical reality. The creative sonic choices meet with the track's dystopian lyricism to convey the unsettling feelings that the last two years have brought to the surface. Montez explains, "I don’t think I’m alone in this, but I have had more than a few dreams about the end of the world, which I think were probably more common in the era of COVID." Montez continues, "So there’s some intentionally jarring qualities, both sonically and lyrically, that I tried to get across to communicate some of the more unsettling nature of those kinds of dreams."
Today's release follows last month's "Sensory Deprivation" which offers the musician the space to yearn, to love, and to be loved in return, exploring what it really means to be in a long-term relationship. Montez explains, "The song is about something that can be common in long term relationships–that while you’re still in love and enjoy each other’s time, the demands of life and work. can pull you away from your partner/wife/husband, and make you feel undesired. I’m definitely being a little dramatic in this song, but I think the chorus makes a nice point, especially in a long term relationship, that you only want to feel loved. The sonic qualities are kind of reflective of this, bouncing between a quiet state of unstated desire, and then a more emotionally charged statement of wanting that love."
While Daydream Review is the sole songwriter of his music, Dream Sequence #29" was mixed by Michael Macdonald (Tasha, Tenci, Mia Joy), and mastered by Greg Obis (DEHD, Cloud Nothings, Paul Cherry), and includes harmonies by Kaitlyn Murphy. When performing live, the band consists of Montez & Murphy (harmony vocals and auxiliary percussion), as well as a rotating group of friends who help fill out the band's live sound.
"Dream Sequence #29" is the B-side to the A-side of "Sensory Deprivation." The two-sided standalone singles are a palette cleanser after a more retro-influenced debut EP. Now, Daydream Review aims to depart slightly from his usual sound in an effort to dig deeper into what his artistry might become in 2022 as both Daydream Review and Elijah Montez, the artist and the person, continue to evolve.
After moving from Austin to Chicago, Daydream Review began turning the heads of leading tastemakers in Chicago and beyond. Chicago Reader called the band a "pastel-tinted pop-psych gem," and the Chicago Tribune wrote Montez's work is, "flowing with an abundance of melodic harmonies and memorable structures," while Alt Citizen called it, "beautiful, dreamy, and otherworldly." PopWrapped lauded that the music Montez creates is, "multi-layered, rather personal and often reflective – offer listeners moments of clarity at times when it’s most needed."
Additionally, Melted Magazine who premiered "Blossom," wrote the track "is introduced by impermeable prism-like layers of synths refracting a spectrum of guitar tones," continuing that the singer's "passively disembodied vocals calmly glide over explosions of colorful moments beneath him as he narrates an out of body experience." Daydream Review has spent plenty of time on the road, including opening for modern psychedelic pioneers such as Sugar Candy Mountain, Triptides, and The Mattson 2.
"Dream Sequence #29," out everywhere now, is an apocalyptic lullaby that while unsettling, blends ominous ideas with the genre-bending, smooth flair of Daydream Review. A limited run of the 7" A/B side record of "Sensory Deprivation," and "Dream Sequence #29" is available on Bandcamp now. Daydream Review has much more in store. Don't miss what's next–find him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more.
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