Peel Dream Magazine is what I would call intellectual pop. The L.A.-based band has effortlessly swayed through Krautrock, shoegaze, twee pop, and dream pop throughout their four full-length albums. Each one saw sonic expansion and a deeper connection to storytelling via band leader and songwriter Joseph Stevens. Stevens incorporates everything from early 90s college rock to 60s psych pop and 70s singer/songwriter fare into his musical world, while making it all something singular to him.
On the band’s latest and best record to date, Rose Main Reading Room, Stevens and his collaborators in Peel Dream Magazine paint a poetic narrative of being lost in New York via vibes ala Yo La Tengo, Stereolab, Sufjan Stevens, and minimalist classical composer Steve Reich. It’s an intricate record that feels intimate, personal, and timeless.
Joseph Stevens grew up just north of New York City, and resided in Brooklyn for years. Rose Main Reading Room feels like a love letter to an afternoon getting lost in the Big Apple. Days spent wandering the New York Public Library or the Museum of Natural History, this record has the quality of a time machine. It takes us through some Hal Ashby-lensed version of NYC.
“Dawn” brings us into this world; woodwinds and vibes setting the stage of a fall walk through Central Park. Very reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens Michigan and Illinois albums. Even the vocals have that whispery feel to them that instantly puts you in the mindset of this record. “Central Park West” keeps that vibe going, continuing the Sufjan vibes with bits of Yo La Tengo’s maudlin pop sensibilities. It’s dreamy and rich with layered woodwinds. “R.I.P.(Running in Place)” has a nice groove to bob your head to and brings a touch of psychedelia to the front. “Machine Repeating” has an almost French pop lean, ala Francoise Hardy and Serge Gainsbourg. It’s all very twee and exquisite.
There are touches of Belle and Sebastian, Donovan, and the film soundtracks of Wes Anderson. There’s a sense of being lost in New York in the 70s. You could almost imagine Holden Caulfield wandering through Brooklyn, had Caulfield been a teen outcast in 1971 as opposed to 1951.
Rose Main Reading Room is a wonderfully light and melancholy record from Peel Dream Magazine. Ornate, breezy, and offers a world of its own for the listener to get lost in.
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One of my favorite records of this year. I’ve listened to this one quite a bit already.
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It gets better with each spin.
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i love the artwork!
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Same. Has a very classic feel to it.
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Great write up and well said. This definitely reminded me of illinois on first listen – Which I have always hoped Sufjan would create something in that vein again. This more than suffices. I hear Stereolab in places too, which is always a positive. The Vinyl sold out quick though and I had to pay a bit to track one down.
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