Serene Oblivion

Dream Koala’s new EP Exodus, is a haunting and fragile piece of music that pairs perfectly with any lazy daydreamer seeking out an unrealistic utopia. Despite its brevity, Exodus encapsulates a sense of yearning and fantasy with its delicate rhythms and shadowy vocals.

Dream Koala is the product of the twenty one year old, French-Brazilian musician Yndi Ferreira. For those that are unfamiliar with his work, Exodus is much like his other albums, in the way that his lyrics explore nature, the mind, how one exists in this world and the world of one’s dream, and the rejection of the modern world and technology.

Although, this EP is fleeting, it accomplishes the task of hypnotizing the listener in only a matter of minutes. The first song “Dimension Sleeper” opens with lyrics that explore the infinite nothingness of the space within his own mind. The images of “Cold liquids” and “cosmic pathways” bring about a sense of hypothermia and isolation. When listening closely, one should be paralyzed with uneasiness, especially when he sings, “Cosmic pathways the portal opens wide and I perceive/A hole into the void will lead me to the gods/As I’m drowning away,” but instead the listener is entranced and captivated by the bewitching vocals and the echoing rhythms that hide and layer themselves in the background. The last song, “Threnody to Earth” does not differ much from the other songs and continues on before ending the whole EP on a melancholic note.

Dream Koala’s lyrics are not easy to stomach, but for some reason there appears to be some unearthly comfort in his despairing and fantastical images. There is a tranquility to this album, that makes one think that slipping into a bitter, starless oblivion would be satisfying, as long as Dream Koala was there to serenade and soothe the listener on their journey through the obscurity of one’s mind.