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Gunwood - Dream Boat Jane

Dream a little dream of Jane

Gunwood - Dream Boat Jane Image 1
  • 2022
  • Gunwood - Dream Boat Jane Image 1
  • 13

I was struck by something from the 1st listening: this album is very very musical.
If this doesn’t make you dance, I don’t know what you need. Like the actress Line Ancel, great presence as a wonderful heroin of precursory video "Dream Boat Jane". Watch it and probably you’ll kind of fall in love with her like I did (!)
(No, the drawing of the sleeve isn’t her.)

As for the music, here is a splendid traditional folk album. Markedly less blues than the 1st one, except one track ("Better Know Yourself Well"), which you’d swear was written for – and performed by – Joe Cocker!

So, of course, if you’re looking for something weird, something disturbing, something extravagant or provoking, you are not at the right place. Nothing revolutionary in this record indeed, yet... it’s a total blast! Sometimes in life music is just beautiful, revitalizing, rousing. On radiant and resolutely optimistic words, full of metaphors from nature.

It’s clearly eyeing America, with some little likeness to Far West ("Sparkles"), borderline country music ("Sunny Eyes"), or gospel backing vocals advocating freedom ("Share a Little Freedom").

A very small (and surprising) electro touch (is it really electro?), which evocates a didgeridoo for me ("Shades")... I find it off-topic in this album. But don’t let it stop you, for you would miss the following, including the irresistible Scottish traditional "Ye Jacobites by Name" and the Celtic final sweetness "Good Night Song" (its backing vocals, its drone, its banjo).

Anyway, I was struck by something from the 12th listening: Gunnar Ellwanger’s Germanic voice seems to snag on every consonant... yet it sounds well!



Gunwood - Dream Boat Jane Image 1
  • Folk custom, it’s short! Rather blatantly, since the songs are all in 2 minutes 30, 3 minutes 30. Except "Better Know Yourself Well", which comes near to 5 minutes, and this was mandatory to hot things up, especially the magnificent horns.
    Note that, in "Rude Thing" (the most rock track of the record), the lyrics fit on 10 lines.

    So it’s short, as said, but, considering the album counts not less than 13 tracks, the total length remains honourable with its 42 minutes.

  • Dream Boat Jane
    Dear Starlight
    Changing Out There
  • Shades
  • The sentence

    “There lies my boat and I'll take it wherever the sparkles might be” ("Sparkles")

  • them
    www.gunwoodofficial.com (21 Hits)
  • ...And now, listen!
    • www.deezer.com/en/album/281935132 (19 Hits)
    • open.spotify.com/album/1KQlqCpHsMOY6nBXohHP0k (21 Hits)
    • www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSDFE_cgeww&list=OLAK5uy_lQMm4VwOqqoPOtLTnDj1tif76tFlR-DDs (19 Hits)
  • Tags
    Line Ancel | Gunwood | country | Gunnar Ellwanger | Joe Cocker | traditional | backing vocals | folk

  • To be appreciated too...
    Jil Is Lucky
    Off the Wall
        2020

    Another brick
      They Call Me Rico
    Sweet Exile
        2018

    Exiled yet familiar
      Gunwood
    Traveling soul
        2017

    Traveling sons


  • Created
    06 May 2022

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