Though the bandmembers in Dreams So Real did work very well together, they never developed a really distinct sound. On Gloryline, the band delivered some tight, rollicking Southern rock with a hint of folk twang, but nothing to set them apart from their contemporaries. Barry Marler sings with passion but not a whole lot of character, and every track sounds good while it’s actually playing. There is evidence that the trio format was confining to the band, since the standout tracks on this album are the ones that feature additional instrumentation by guest musicians. The best track, “Overton Park/Faith,” also contains more of a hint of the folksy twang that this group displayed on their first album. The nadir of the package is the pointless remake of “Day After Day,” which is worthy of a Holiday Inn lounge band. The fact that Dreams So Real could put such a generic pop clunker in the midst of an otherwise intermittently interesting album is as much confirmation as is needed that they really didn’t know what they wanted to sound like. – Richard Foss
more »
