Books Of Moods – Dreams

What comes to mind when you think of indie music? Beautiful vocal harmonies, lush chord progressions, warm-sounding basslines, and moderate, groovy beats? Well, a good indie band should have all those qualities, but it should also resonate with genuineness and innovation to catch the attention of the crowd. In the vast sea of artists and bands popping up from all parts of the globe daily, that’s a difficult task to achieve, but thankfully, clever music outlets find their way to the top. Speaking of genuineness, many of them fail to deliver fresh music that does not sound like something recorded and released by prominent names decades ago, or something that goes too much into experimental waters, to the point it doesn’t sound like indie anymore. As time passes by, it becomes so difficult for artists to shine in the limelight. Thankfully, Books Of Moods has been on our music radar for years now, and for good reason. He is one of those music outlets that always deliver fresh, unique, innovative, exciting music, a distinctive form of indie music that appeals to the ears and sounds like nothing you could stumble upon in the contemporary scene. With “Dreams,” his highly anticipated debut full-length album released on May 8th, he achieved something that artists rarely do nowadays. He has crafted a comprehensive collection of calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, captivating songs where each vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuver tackles all the sense. Now, anyone into songwriting and composing music knows that’s a very difficult task to achieve, especially nowadays, when music is more crafted to appeal to playlist curators than actual listeners, but Books Of Moods created this album for himself first. You can notice this experienced musician is an indie music lover who solely enjoys playing these tunes.

And of course, perhaps indie shines in this sonic equation the most, as the artist incorporated all the fundamental elements of those genres, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon some of the finest properties borrowed from art rock, dream pop, and other similar styles. Hugo Sailer, a highly skilled singer-songwriter, multiinstrumentalist, and producer, fully stacked this material with those additional enhancements, accentuations, and other details in order to emphasize all those segments and orchestrations when they need the most, but also remains loyal to the primary sonic direction. Lyrically, these songs have been made to trigger contemplation, so Books Of Moods explored various sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances in order to force listeners to make throwback or restrospection, think about their lives, actions, and situations they’ve been to, and possibly make changes and adjust everything that needs to be adjusted. It’s  highly relatable material that will immediately resonate with the broader auditorium due to its quality to tackle all the senses at once. Hugo Sailer’s voice is a perfect vehicle for conveying those messages, with that soft, calming quality where each harmony wraps around the listening apparatus and refuses to let go. His soulful, passionate, sincere, confident performance has the ability of penetrating listening apparatus immediately, convincing the listener to lie back and enjoy the ride. For example, songs like “Space Pt. 1,” “Slow Day,” “Dreams,” “Gaia,” “Holidays,” “Sunday Mood,” and “Amoreux” exemplify how his voice, paired with many vocal layers, back vocals, and sing-alongs, shapes the melodic aspect of this album. Besides all of that, his voice also contributes more than necessary emotional depth and complexity over these songs, making them appealing to the ears even more.

But the vocals are just one cog in the machinery, and there are plenty more than make “Dreams” such a fascinating achievement of indie music. The interplay of guitars and keys not only crafts a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine but also contributes that feelgood quality to those songs. On one side, you have many leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, and other sonic maneuvers delivered by keys, constructing the luxuriant, captivating atmosphere, while the combination of clean acoustic and electric chord progressions and riffs gives more depth and detail on the other side. While so many songs carry these interplays, “Space Pt. 1,” “Dreams,” “Gaia,” “Space Pt. 2,” “Holidays,” “Sunday Mood,” and “Fashion Romance” exemplify how those interplays between guitars and keys work together flawlessly. But as is usually the case, “Dreams” wouldn’t sound complete without the equally impressive section, and the bass guitar and drums fulfill the gaps between other instrumentation perfectly. The bass lines are warm, deep, dense, heavy, contributing groove and detail without ever feeling overwhelming. They provide heaviness, clarity, and depth when this material needs the most, while serving as a counterweight to high notes delivered by guitars and keys. And the exceptional drumming performance rounds this material with such precision and finesse. All those moderate, well-accentuated, tastefully assembled beats, breaks, fills, and breaks emphasize all the segments and orchestrations, making “Dreams” so groovy and dynamic. Books Of Moods have crafted an album that goes beyond comprehension. With all those captivating, ethereal, otherworldly instrumentations and beautiful vocal harmonies, he leads listeners on an epic journey through the expansive sonic universe. It’s a comprehensive collection of wisely written, carefully composed, and flawlessly performed songs that keeps you tied to your seat on this journey from scratch to finish, and definitely stays with you even after the last notes and beats fade. If you love your indie art rock music as magnificent, luxuriant, and fascinating as “Dreams” surely is, then this material will be right up your alley. Do not miss it!