Glass Animals Take You on a Nostalgic Trip Through "Dreamland"
Words by Mia Andrea
Graphic by Emily Lantzy
Two summers ago, Glass Animals were uncertain if they would ever release music as a group again. In the midst of nonstop touring for the band’s sophomore album How to Be a Human Being, drummer Joe Seaward was involved in a life-threatening bike accident that resulted in a loss of speech and movement, which required immediate neurosurgery. After two years of intensive hospital care, rehabilitation, and widespread fear among band members and fans, Seward made a full recovery and the band began to embark on a series of miraculous comeback performances.
Dave Bayley, the band’s vocalist and frontman, took time during Glass Animals’ unprecedented pause to search through his memories of growing up, which served as the main inspiration for the long-awaited Dreamland. Glass Animals’ third album proved itself to be worth the wait as it explored themes of nostalgia, vulnerability, and personal experiences of growing up, all while experimenting with the alternative-pop group’s sound to clearly establish a new era. The album gently opens with the title track and introduces many of the memories that are opened throughout the record. Samples of strings, a calming melody played on the keys, reflective lyrics, and echoes of vocals swirling around your head create a dreamy, yet somber tone that differs from the band’s previous album. Just as Bayley sings in the song, every single lyric and note is meant to “make it feel like a movie you saw in your youth,” and the result is nothing short of successful.
“Tangerine” is a bright and energetic change of pace as it follows “Dreamland.” The upbeat, tropical-pop elements of this song compliment the naive associations of youth found within the lyrics. The blissful memories are hard to let go of, while enthusiastic cheers and laughs from London children are sampled in the background. As the album takes the listener through a chronological journey of growing up, an audio from Bayley’s own childhood home videos with his mother serves as an interlude and transition into the next track, “Hot Sugar.” From singing about obscure imagery such as “lemongrass eyelids” to “swimming pool spaceships,” the song’s character expresses their wish to be as cool as the person they’ve fallen in love with. A feeling of admiration is showcased through laid-back R&B influences and a guitar solo that’s impossible not to sway along to.
The psychedelic “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” follows another home movie interlude to tell the story of another one of Bayley’s significant memories from his youth. During a virtual listening party with commentary posted on Twitter, he described how the song is reminiscent, but almost disapproving of a childhood friend who happened to change for the worse. Despite the rather dark lyrics related to simple childhood memories, warped vocals combine with unique percussion variations to create a contradictory, catchy rhythm heard throughout and resemble some of the beats heard on the band’s debut album Zaba.
Confidence is the main focus of “Tokyo Drifting,” which was the first single released by Glass Animals since 2016 and as a result, kickstarted what would be known as the Dreamland era. Bayley’s in-your-face alter ego, who he calls “Wavey Davey” in the song, spreads a contagious, bold energy that brings the rest of the album’s vulnerability to a sudden halt. “Tokyo Drifting” is carried by trap beats and a feature from rapper Denzel Curry, showcasing new sounds that instantly hooked fans and represented some of the group’s strongest experimentation yet. The next song, “Melon and the Coconut,” feels like a full 180 in volume and tone compared to its high-energy precursor. By all means, this isn’t your ordinary breakup tune. It’s a mellow two and a half minutes of a narrative about two fruit characters and even includes a playful guitar solo after the second verse, ultimately increasing the strangely charming appeal.
After a short break, the album brings you on your feet once again with “Your Love (Deja Vu).” The lyrics combine feelings of chaos and comfort to summarize utter helplessness despite the bass-and-drum-heavy sounds that resonate through your whole chest, resembling a similar sense of energy and positivity that is found during a live concert. Surrealist tones continue into “Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth,” and through the repeated use of comparisons to 90’s memorbilia, the lyricals describe the uncontrollable instance of displaying a different persona to someone. Instrumentally, this track sounds most adjacent to Glass Animals’ previous album; a melodic introduction played on an electric guitar, a build-up of keys right before the chorus, and unpredictable layers of warped vocals are familiar to fans all while presenting a whole new concept.
“It’s All So Incredibly Loud” takes an overwhelming, but important detour from the more upbeat singles released earlier in the year. A soft intro composed of keys, synth, and a repetitive rhythm heard throughout the song tease at a calmer portrayal of heartbreak. However, as Bayley sings about devastation and breaking down, a dramatic crescendo of sound emerges, leaving the listener with no choice but to join his emotional contemplation. This song is an out-of-body experience; the music is meant to consume you through its build-up, whether that’s through headphones or a speaker with the volume turned up all the way, and it proves to be some of the band’s strongest work yet.
Another home movie interlude dominated by long strokes of strings sampled by the band’s guitarist, Drew MacFarlane, smoothly transitions into the emotional “Domestic Bliss.” The lyrics depict the tragic occurrence of a toxic relationship, causing Bayley to offer escape to a romanticized, tropical, summer setting and motivate the character to keep fighting back. Phrases about begging on one’s knees are repeated throughout the album - which are accompanied by a heart-beat-like rhythm in this track - in order to imply a forced sense of maturity and growing up due to a traumatic experience. These concepts of self-awareness and reflection are additionally interpreted through a rose-tinted lens in “Heat Waves.” Upbeat pop sounds filled with catchy plucking from an electric guitar, percussion that leaves your head bobbing from side to side, and a catchy melody contradict the contemplative lyrics, such as when Bayley sings “I don’t wanna be alone.” The effects of his emotional exposure become the theme of the entire record and prepares the listener for the closing track, “Helium.”
After a final home movie interlude, the dreaminess of “Helium” is introduced. The primary sounds of the song constantly shift throughout, yet revisit many of the sad moments mentioned in the songs prior. Warm, electric guitar chords and a simple kick drum beat establish the first impressions of this song, but the simplicity is soon abandoned as the percussion grows stronger near the chorus, the key changes halfway through the song, and the tempo shifts to match the reintroduced intro and opening lyrics of “Dreamland” alongside an arrangement of strings. In this successful full circle addition to “Helium,” the band symbolizes the simultaneously unpredictable and familiar feelings of growing up, making the album feel like a coherent and personal story to any listener. And towards the very end when silence is teased at and a breath of fresh air feels necessary, you’re met with one last taste of Bayley’s nostalgia as the album bids farewell with a final home video sound bite. Between exploring contrasting blissful fantasy and the reality of growing up, “Helium” serves as the perfect summary to Dreamland’s fluid journey from innocence to full vulnerability.
During a first listen of Dreamland, it’s quite possible to become caught up in the headspace of the escapist, alternative-pop instrumental wonderland. However, a thorough listen lets you realize how the lyrics and individuality carry the album to create a familiar and nostalgic environment. Artistically, lyrically, and emotionally, Dreamland is some of Glass Animals’ strongest and most creative work yet. The band has proved that they’re never afraid to experiment and defy the norm all while staying true to their incredible storytelling abilities.