Bordering on the surreal at times, our dreams have long been seen as a gateway into our subconscious, said to reveal clues to our true desires and emotions. Hoping to tap into this notion, Columbus, OH based psychedelic dance/jam/funk band, The Werks, have released a brand new concept album, Inside A Dream, to explore the vast realms and possibilities of our dreams. Made up of Rob Chafin (drums, vocals, samples), Dino Dimitrouleas (bass, vocals), Chris Houser (guitar, vocals) and Dan Shaw (keyboards, vocals), this quartet offers up a smorgasbord of sound that will please any listener.
Entering the dream with the brooding tones of “The Answer,” the song slowly builds, gathering energy before reaching a glowing finish. The Werks’ excellent songwriting and song arrangement are on full display on Inside A Dream, as they offer a number of heavy-hitting, introspective songs that are sure to give the listener something to reflect on.
The Werks And Twiddle Are Twerkin’ It Up In Bloomington [Gallery]
With a fresh arrangement of Chopin’s “Opus 66,” highlighted by Shaw’s diabolical work on the keys, Chafin’s driving drum kit, Dimitrouleas’ steady low-end and Houser’s soaring guitar, the Werks really start to invoke the dream sequence or montage, if you will. “For You” finds the band back in a subtler jam rock territory, leading to a stripped down, acoustic number, “Give Or Take,” that offers one of the most profound lyrics on the album: “Life is not a race, A destination nor a place, It’s the moments we create, What You Give Not What You Take.”
The lush jamtronica that the Werks are so well known for is put back on display during “Find You Way.” Peaks and valleys, twists and turns, this song has them all. The album’s title track “Inside A Dream” is a laid-back, funk/jazz journey that encourages the listener to go after their dreams and follow their aspirations; a self-empowering hymn to say the least. Those same kind of threads also run through “Alive” and “Not Alone,” two songs that couldn’t sound more different sonically, but both hinge on the ideas of of self acceptance and grabbing life by the horns. It’s this kind of enlightenment that the Werks are so eloquently able to pull out of the collective unconscious and observe through the power of music on Inside A Dream.
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The Werks conclude Inside A Dream with “Waiting Room,” a bright, melodic arrangement, as if the sun started to show through the blinds, signaling the dawn of a new day and the revitalization of consciousness. With their new album, the Werks have created an exciting and focused piece of work, all the while raising the bar for a concept album from jam bands in the future. A great, concerted effort of musicality and storytelling.
Take a listen to the album in its entirety below, via the band’s SoundCloud: