Dream Aria - In the Wake

Dream Aria is a Canadian band consisting of Ann Burstyn (vox), Don Stagg (Keyboards), Jozef Pilasonavic (Guitars) and Gary Gray (Drums)

The band plays a beautiful blend of exotic rhythms and soaring vocals. The music does fall into the Progressive Rock genre but is balanced and not excessively guitar-driven. Don Stagg is an excellent keyboardist and has written or co-written all of these tunes. Ann Burstyn shines in her role as vocalist and displays great range and timbre in her dynamic voice. The drums keep a good pace and do not dominate the space created in these songs. Guitar-wise, the work is good but does not drift far from what one would expect to hear in this genre.Some of the highlights for me were the opening track Arabesque leanings and the dreamy operatic vocal and soothing chord progressions. I would recommend this album to anyone who listens to too much Powernoise and needs to know what the human voice can really accomplish. Variety is so important in life whether it be food, travel and in this case music. Dream Aria does bring a unique sound to a world weary of sameness and genre-jacking. Bravo!

Du Nord

You can find Dream Aria at www.dreamaria.com