Wedren wanders through genres and mostly finds his way.
Craig Wedren’s The Dream Dreaming (Deluxe) is the kind of album that doesn’t stay in one place for long, and honestly that’s both its biggest strength and its occasional stumbling block. Across a hefty track list, Wedren bounces between moods and sounds freely, sometimes landing on something really compelling and other times just floating past without leaving much of a mark.
“Fingers On My Face” opens things up strong with a vocal-forward alternative pop feel and a great use of strings. The production detail that sticks out most is a pitch-drop snare that gives the track a unique texture you don’t hear often. “Nothing Bad” follows and is a treat for the ears, cycling through breakbeats, a triplet feel and house-adjacent patterns in a way that keeps things constantly moving. There’s a lot of fun ear candy tucked into this one.
Not everything on the record lands as cleanly. “Pronouns” has a decent sonic palette underneath it, but the arrangement and lyrics are repetitive in a way that creates cohesion without really creating interest. “Going Sane” has a similar issue, blending into the album without doing much to stand out on its own.
The more adventurous moments are where the record really shines. “You Are Not Your Feelings” floats a bit too freely early on, feeling more aloof than intentionally spacious, but a delayed low end that drops in around two minutes in finally gives it some grounding. Around the three and a half minute mark the whole thing shifts, the tempo slows, reverb expands and the repeated lyrics create a genuine sense of word painting that matches the emotional distance of the song. “On My Tongue” pulls a similar trick, opening with a gritty punk-influenced energy before flipping into a theatrical, almost carnivalesque orchestral passage near the end. Both tracks are better for taking that kind of risk.
“Play Innocent” is one of the more immersive listens on the album, very dreamy and rooted in an 80s palette through its bass line, chord choices and vocal performance. “On A Lesson” stands out for the opposite reason, just a simple bass motif and some guitar chords, and it works exactly because of what it leaves out.
The deluxe portion adds live recordings from Henson Studios, most of them stripped back versions that lean into vocals. The live “All Made Up” featuring Anna Waronker is arguably the highlight, with both vocalists harmonizing in real time in a way that feels more impressive than the studio version. “Safe Home” exists only in live form and closes the album on a genuinely emotional note, which is a great way to land.
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