The Velvet Daydream – Velvet Daydream
Right from the start, the 2023 album from Velvet Daydream seems to bleed an authentic love for rock. Every detail of the album seems to be thought out to perfection. The retro bouncing melodies in ‘Casino’, the smooth fluidity of ‘Flow’, and the mystical hum in ‘Monique’; even just the names of the songs on the album perfectly coin the experience they withhold. This may seem like such a small detail, but I was so truly captivated by this album (no really, I listened to it maybe 50 times in a row) that by the end I was digging into the details like a gambler digging in their pockets for change. I was desperate for more.
Velvet Daydream is a band from Denver known for bringing back the “classic rock show.” Chock-full of retro 70s-inspired style, Kaeden Keys (guitar, vocals), Ryder King (guitar, vocals), Jude Pfanstiel (bass, vocals), and Nick Schwartz (drums, vocals), are restoring a style of music that has been dwindling over the past 30 years: rock and roll. This vintage style of showmanship isn’t just for the stage, as it can be heard on their 2023 self-titled debut album The Velvet Daydream. The band partnered with experts in the art of recording, using holy grails of equipment once used on records from Foreigner, Julian Lennon, and Dream Theater. Authentic to the bone, the band opted to record the album on 1/2 inch tape and preserve the old-school rock and roll feeling. They are shooting for the big time, and with good reason.
If you like bluesy rock n roll, artisanal sodas, and Badfinger… you’ll like Casino.
If you like lazy Sundays, Ted Nugent, and sea salt caramels… you’ll like Flow.
If you like The Doors, and gin and tonics … you’ll like No Eyes.
If you like American Spirit light blues and Deep Purple… you’ll like Devil Woman.
If you like more upbeat radio hits, root beer floats, and Eagles … you’ll like She.
If you like Creedence Clearwater Revival and sunny days on a lake… you’ll like Greed.
If you like desert rock, star-gazing, and the sound of crickets in the summertime… you’ll like Purple Mountain Majesty.
If you like slow-burn romances, Led Zeppelin, and being a snob about vinyl… you’ll like Monique.
The Velvet Daydream is an album with a favorite for everybody, especially those who already know they love 70s rock. The band captures a wide-reaching feeling for more, that painfully cool openness that comes with raw emotion. They have a dedication to authenticity that follows through in their live performances as well. I was only able to catch them once but am hooked on their sound. They let their roots in Denver influence their sound and have created an ode to 70s rock and roll with balance, a taste of something new, and a respectful nod to the inspirations that came before them. I wish I could simply recommend just these songs from their album, but each one is stunning in its own right and as a part of the whole.
The first song I feel necessary to bring up if I am to do my best duty describing this album has to be the second to last track, ‘Purple Mountain Majesty’. A nod to their roots, a local band from Denver, when I first saw the name on the track list I was apprehensive, but it ended up being easily one of my favorites. The harmonica feels like a howling coyote, the vocals the softer spring winds on the foothills, and the guitar warm and wide as the blue skies cast above the mountains. Each movement in the song feels paced and purposeful, winding slowly like lazy smoke caught in the sunlight. Overall, it is a 70s-dipped, desert rock song for those who love sorrowful vocals.
‘Monique’ opens with the vocals that I think make this band so strong, the tension between the ominous harmonies and the velvety grit of the lead vocals create a beautiful forward movement throughout the song. They showcase an ability to capture the bleeding-heart rawness vital to breathe life into 70s rock. The song draws off into a mess of buzz and what sounds eerily like a passing plane overhead and sirens. It is these moments that truly made me captivated by this album. Each song feels like a three-course meal with an aftertaste that makes it necessary to sit and savor each and all their complexities.
I am such a sucker for this brand of song- the screaming desperation of rock giving way to these bluesy guitar licks. The tone of the guitar in ‘Devil Woman’ sits perfectly for me, flickering between the space of an echo from a room away and the heartbeat in your chest. Velvet Daydream plays with the space between in this song, the silences and pauses giving away beautiful melodies; each so captivating in their own right but combined to create something even better. They know how to lean into each other, and I often look for the bass to tell me this in an album and the bassist in Velvet Daydream knows exactly what they’re doing to create tension in the songs. (If they make a three-hour loop of just the last two minutes of this song I would happily listen to that as well.)
The last song I feel must be highlighted is ‘She’, as it is this album’s rock hit. I feel it is best listened to driving with the windows down as the weather gets warmer, picturing that one crush that seems ethereal. My crush in this scenario happens to also be this song, it is quick and flirty and leaves you wanting more. The twinkle of guitars compliments the lead vocals, and together they capture the essential ingredients for a catchy summer melody. It is warm, hopeful, and free.