Arms of a Dream is the second album by Canadian indie folk band, Reuben and the Dark. Four years separate this album and its predecessor (Funeral Sky), which Reuben Bullock, the band's singer and guitarist, attributed to over-complicating the recording process.
| Arms of a Dream | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2018 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, Indie rock | |||
| Label | Arts & Crafts | |||
| Producer | Stephen Kozmeniuk, Adrianne Gonzalez, Graham Lessard | |||
| Reuben and the Dark chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| The Spill Magazine | [2] |
| Exclaim! |   [3] |
The album title is borrowed from a poem that singer/guitarist Reuben Bullock had written previous to the recording of the album.[4]
Production
editArms of a Dream is Reuben and The Dark's second full band album, but the fourth they recorded as an ensemble. Reuben Bullock admitted to having problems assembling songs for the album in a typical Sophomore slump.[5] Between 50 and 60 songs were tried and rehearsed, but in the end only 11 tracks made it onto the album.[6] The album was recorded over four years, with Reuben Bullock stating that the album was connected by themes of "sleep and waking states. Love. Loss. Lessons and premonitions."[7]
Critical reception
editGhettoblaster magazine said that "Arms of a Dream finds Reuben and the Dark working outside its comfort zone, both musically and lyrically. The result is Bullock’s most vivid and transformative music to date: an intimate exploration of the inversion of imagination and reality in dreams."[8] The Calgary Herald said that "It’s not hard to envision the songs on Arms of a Dream filling a stadium."[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wildlife" | 4:16 |
| 2. | "All or Nothing" | 3:14 |
| 3. | "Hurricane" | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Dreaming" | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Heart in Two" | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Arms of a Dream" | 4:50 |
| 7. | "Hallelujah" | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Castaway" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Woke Up a Rebel" | 3:28 |
| 10. | "Stay Wild" | 5:22 |
| 11. | "Realize" | 5:32 |
| Total length: | 43:17 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Hold Me Like a Fire" | 3:12 |
| 13. | "Hallelujah (alternate version)" | 3:36 |
| 14. | "Bobcaygeon" | 4:17 |
| 15. | "You and I" | 4:57 |
References
edit- ^ "Funeral Sky - Arms of a Dream | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ Zivkovic, Ljubinko (May 4, 2018). "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REUBEN & THE DARK - ARMS OF A DREAM". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ Yuyitung, Matt (May 3, 2018). "Reuben and the Dark Arms of a Dream". exclaim.ca.
- ^ Papadatos, Markos (April 11, 2018). "Reuben And The Dark talks new studio album 'Arms of a Dream' (Includes interview)". www.digitaljournal.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ Volmers, Eric (December 19, 2018). "Dark experiments: Reuben and the Dark plan to creatively reboot, record during week-long residency at National Music Centre | Calgary Herald". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ Volmers, Eric (May 5, 2018). "Calgary expats Reuben and the Dark craft meticulous second album". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ "Reuben - A Quick One With...". infoweb.newsbank.com. December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ "Song Premiere: Reuben and the Dark, "Arms Of A Dream"". Ghettoblaster Magazine. April 2, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "BTW-Kevin Breit, Reuben and the Dark, Thompson Egbo-Egbo, Black Pumas, 13go, Dave Bookman | Cashbox Canada". cashboxcanada.ca. Retrieved December 27, 2019.