We all have gotten to know the unique and beautiful styles of singers,’Finneas’, and ‘Ashe’. Both carrying a soulful tone in their work, with an entrancing production, it is no wonder that what comes from the both of them when they form a band, is none other than incredible and original. Here is a review of their new album, ‘The Dream’, track, by track and the importance of having bands on the scene.

‘Restless Little Heart’

We start this off by a short track, an intro piece that starts with Ashe’s vocals, which seems to fit those of a jazz genre with its’ incredible arrangement then followed by Finneas’ voice that has such a rawness to it, that you don’t seem to notice how little the backing instruments are present. They come together at the end to sing,’And my restless, little heart is falling apart over you’, and instantly the blend of harmonies compliment the both of them well. Going into it, you can see how there is a strong story of love and the themes that come with that, and the two perspectives almost serve as a deeper lyricism point which I love, and is why I think bands make such a point in the music scene. There is a longing for it in many capacities, similar to the fictional band,’Daisy Jones and The Six’, from the hit TV Show, in which audiences would love for that to be a real band and have made comparisons of their style to ‘The Dream’, almost being similar. I think that understanding of the impact of bands is that it elevates a storyline just through the voices alone, and that can almost form a bigger world in the music.

‘The Dream’

There is almost a complete turn in sound for this next track, the title track of the record, through how automatically the instrumental is heavier and more upbeat, building rapidly. There is still that explosion in vocals from the both of them, showing their vocal range, that you see in a lot of the record. It is interesting how both Finneas and Ashe are on the entirety of the track, and the build to me seems to represent the anger that person feels towards someone seemingly lying to them or being rather manipulative whilst they are in a vulnerable state,’naked and afraid’. “I know if you wanted to call, you would, You live in your car, but you say you’re in Hollywood’. As they are singing these lyrics, there is a massive build amplifying those feelings, and I love the themes of industry, hollywood and music they tap into. I also love their outro in which it seems as if they are talking themselves in the studio after recording the track, those elements in music always feel so personal to the listener as if you are hearing it live or in the studio with them, something they include in the next song, ‘Moonshine’.

‘Moonshine’

A true focus on the incredible lyricism with this one,’Someone is swimming in a pool full of rain clouds tonight’…’Angels in car wrecks from chasing their rainbows all day’, are some verses I personally love. Alluding perhaps towards someone being okay with chasing after something/someone because of how magical it feels with them but may cause heartbreak or chaos along the way. There is a strong theme of nature throughout the track to put behind the overall idea, with,’Moonshine’, being repeated. That word reminds you of how glaring the moon is when it first appears within the night sky, and I think shows how they are wanting to be with someone but there is a darkness behind it,’Oh, if we’ve gone mad it’s not so bad’. Here is where it is comparative to how a film builds, as they grow further into the plot, but also into the album, you go deeper into those feelings and outstanding lyricism that can serve both as a diary point but also as its’ own story and world they created separately.

‘The Little Mess You Made’

Into the first track Finneas and Ashe released together as a band (although it is interesting to see the development from the track they have together as collaboratively called,’Till Forever Falls Apart’, which has that inkling of their harmonies together and listeners got a glimpse of that prior to the forming of this band which then in turn, feels familiar). With this track, it starts with an interesting piano/synth beat which is new and fits the slightly slower pace. In this one, we go back to the two different perspectives that we hoped to hear from the first introduction. Finneas sings,’The little mess you made is filling up our room’, whereas Ashe sings,’The little mess you made, is all over the news’. It signals the different feelings two people have when something goes wrong in the relationship and how one views it on how it impacts them and their own space but one views it as how other people may percieve it. They come back to this verse again at the end, but overlapping their two verses together which elevates the song further, and perhaps the emotion. Ending with a heavy production and both sing,’You’ll never see me again’, is very interesting for the following contrasting track, ‘The Hudson’.

‘The Hudson’

As much as it is contrasting to the previous track in tone, it follows the story seamlessingly, as a reflection of their past and missing it but knowing it is not time just yet. ‘The Hudson’ is a place used to reminisce of where they used to go, in the first verse, reflecting on their past memories,’Two old strangers sharing really personal things, Watched the Sun descend on the Hudson’, but then in the last verse,’But come December, come the storm, I’ll walk the Hudson back to you’. There is also that comparison in nature with ‘the storm’ and ‘the sun’ alluding to how much time might pass between them next seeing each other. An amazing lyricism point and really goes deep into every detail, a song I could see in a movie with the level of description so easily slotted in. The chorus also has a very nostalgic production to it, one similar to that of Fleetwood Mac, alongside how their voices mesh with that style.

‘Ordinary People’

The acoustic production at the beginning of the track, alongside their individual perspectives with raw vocals, does remind me of those timeless classic love duets, a comforting and calming tone to it. Repetition of the lyrics from the different perspectives show this in a deeper light. ‘Don’t you worry, I’m not worried, I’ll be early, I’m not ready’. It feels like a genuine conversation which follows with the idea of them being ‘ordinary people’, that one side is perhaps unsure of taking the leap in their feelings, or could be a reflection of their past to where it is now hypothetically. Either way, it is a comforting track to listen to and follows through to the next half of the album with it being shorter in length.

‘Necessary Evils’

This track seems to be an idea of two people knowing there is a lot of hurt between them both being together but they are struggling to break apart, thinking it is necessary ‘all the necessary evils of loving you’ but then, ‘all the necessary evils of losing you’. There is almost a contrast of how it will be evil for them either way, which comes with a level of complex emotions. ‘I’ll never be wrong ’cause I’ll never be true”, taps into a lot of ‘What Ifs?’ in the story, the questioning of if this never happened, I may not be feeling this way. I hear the somber tone within this track, with almost deeper tone of voice and lower range of instruments being used, but builds to an incredible drum beat into a electric guitar solo for the last 20 seconds of the track that could be reflective in the music of a montage in a movie for example, where you are replaying moments in your head. I love the instrumental at the end, and can see this song serve incredibly well in a live show environment, an aspect I find with all their music.

‘Times Square Jesus’

The last record we got before the album release, with the themes of New York still at the forefront of the imagery in this work. ‘Easy telling someone how they feel, not as fun to tell someone you love that it’s real’, is the first lyrics Finneas sings beautifully on the record, alluding to the idea (as they both sing from this perspective) that he/she want to confess their love but find it too hard, but everyone else knows their feelings,’you’re an open secret I’m afraid’. I love how they jump back and forth with the two singers on their voices with Finneas singing,’no use trying not to be your mother’s daughter’, to later Ashe singing,’You’re too much your father’s son’, in what her mum said but there is an interesting overlap there of Finneas singing it as he is too much his father’s son, a phrase often used between how alike those are with their parents, often creating positive connotations but can be perceived negatively when others describe it as ‘too much’ or in a negative tone. I also find it interesting how there is an almost darker instrumental with the slow beat and the lower tone of voice when they are singing lyrics like,’Every time I walk by Times Square Jesus, He tells me to confess before my grave, But I don’t wanna be saved’, with that connotation being how it feels almost like life or death in how they feel and a constant reminder about the choices they make, similarly to those that preach the word of the Bible in New York and other cities. I find it interesting to link back to something relevant to New York, considering the song ‘The Hudson’, earlier in the album and I feel it really builds a whole character world for the listener with that descripitive imagery. Something so unique about their work in this band is not only their original raw vocals and band that makes it seem like you are hearing it live when you are just in your room, but the storytelling ability they so easily do, making it feel like a movie, with each song slotting in perfect plot order. I feel like listeners would connect with this really well as it can fit into their interpretations and also relate back to their own lives with such a world being built surrounding the perspectives, you can see each songs to be in a film of their own.

‘David’s Brother’

Each song within this record, has a very different instrumental build but keeping that same “70s pop” and inspiration from “the golden era of Laurel Canyon” (Spotify). A song I could hear on a long car drive, with the instrumental building but keeping to that pop style again, with a sense of warmth. I personally love the lyrics,’My my, my mind in the gutter, on a moonlit drive, la-la-lackluster’, as it fits into the upbeat production with the complimenting vocals. They still have that explosive build within both their vocals and production that they keep to in a lot of tracks, with the overlapping harmonies. At the end of the track, Finneas takes the higher note within the verse, which I think really taps into his vocal range alone, and there is just a focus on their vocal arrangement at the end, which is truly captivating.

‘Lake George’

Another song with an incredible level of cinematography within the lyricism, focusing the title on another place in New York. (Researching that they recorded this in LA, is very interesting as there is such a combination of sounds from reaching those different areas). This seems to be a reflective piece for both singers, with the imagery of the ocean,’sea salt in the cut, it heals, but it sucks’, ‘seasick in the wake, ashes in the lake, am I gonna think about you ’till I die?’ The imagery of losing this person in a romantic sense to heal is almost like an old version of you dying. Ending of with the sound of an ocean wave splashing emphasises it more, an isolated wave after such heavy emotions through vocals and lyrics. Definitely a personal favourite on the album.

“Someday I’ll Be Back In Hollywood”

This track circles back to the title track,’The Dream’, where they are listing Hollywood, following with other places in LA, showing their journey back to perhaps home, with the following track being, ‘Home Sweet Home’, and New York being where they held those memories. A much more heavier production on this one, with a featured voice from the artist,’marinelli’, describing a situation in which their career stops, ‘Someday I’ll be back in Hollywood’, associating that with the music industry, and almost spiralling about their life and their bond with someone else, and never achieving goals within the music scene. ‘And, even if it never works, could always be a manager’. With ‘The Dream’, being prior to this when talking about Hollywood, it could be from the perspective and angle of going out and achieving childhood dreams of being a musician but what if that all stops one day?, possibly tapping into both Finneas and Ashe’s thoughts from time to time being so successful within their own careers and their collaborative band, but it is interesting to hear it sung from a different artist completely with them mainly building the backing vocals to add depth to the song. The singular stand-out drum beat during,’What’s the meaning of life? What’s the meaning of death?” is a take on how deep this question truly is. I love how this taps into coming home to California after this cinematic experience in New York, and rounding up the album as it does so.

‘Home Sweet Home’

The last track on this album, with the repeated phrase,’it all comes back to you’, before the groovy 70s beat kicks in, summing up this album as the longing feeling of wanting to be with someone throughout all the trials and tribulations,’I still adore ya”, showing that this journey is not over yet. I love how the production is so different within this last track, with such a heavy 70s disco production, their voices slightly altered to fit that perfectly. They also of course, link back to New York and California,’Summer’s hot in New York’, ‘How’s California?’, giving the intepretation that one of them is in New York, one is in California but they are always in contact, even if they have ‘let go’. I love how it is almost a journey from coast-to-coast with the different production sounds being from the different areas, feeling like a summer roadtrip but with some nostalgic tears along the way. Ending with that same pop beat, shows almost the completion of the album, they have found their own way, similar to the ending of the film, but it is clear there is more to come of this story and this band.

Having also seen them perform in Hyde Park myself during Finneas’ set back in July, I could hear how well their harmonies blended in that live atmosphere, alongside how the band captivated the style. Performing,’The Little Mess You Made’ prior to the release of this beautiful record, I definitely had that song on repeat ever since. Definitely tapping back into that 70s feeling but with such a modern originality to it, which is what makes this band so unique. When you pair two powerhouses together, it is no wonder that an incredible album is made. It is exciting to see where both artists go next within their collaborative project and upcoming live shows, and how they combine that with their own solo careers. I feel that there is no limits to the different sound throughout each song, which makes room for everyone to love a track. A band that I think is filling such a gap in the music industry right now in the best way, bringing the focus on the music alone and the quality of such. One of my most praised albums of 2025 thus far, and would love to see the progression of their sound further. Be sure to stream their work on all streaming platforms, and check out their individual projects.