CD reviews

Shadow Days
Reviewed by Musical Discoveries.com - Direct link to review
by Russell Elliot

(12 September 2004)
The Dreaming have returned with a new eleven-track release entitled Shadow Days (DreamSuite Records (USA), 2004). Our visitors should recall the band's prior two releases Picture Book Rain and Silent (review). The Dreaming play a light blend of progressive rock and other styles laced with gorgeous female vocals. Based in Buffalo, NY the band is fronted with the silky vocals of Ann Janish-Schieder (lead and backing vocals, keyboard). The lineup is completed by newcomer Leah Pinnavaia (harmony vocals, clarinet and lead vocals on "Useful Vagueness"), with Ray Lorigo (guitar, bass), Daniel Haskin (guitar, ebow, keyboard), and Patrick O'Connell (drums, percussion and acoustic guitar on "The Dreaming"). The album also includes a guest appearance by Joe Pinnavaia [Leah's brother and co-member of the band Cosmic Stepping Stones] playing mandolin on "Mourning Rain."

The album demonstrates significant development since The Dreaming's prior two releases with more refined and lush arrangements joined by Leah's soaring soprano vocal harmonies. We can't wait to hear more from her. Tempo and musical styles vary across the album contributing to changes in mood and texture. Says Daniel Haskin, "Ray and I have been playing together for a long time and we orchestrate our parts a certain way to capture a feel." The trend continues into Shadow Days.
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Shadow Days
Sarah Sullivan,
WHOB Nashua, NH, WBOS Boston, MA, August 2004

The Dreaming is a band out of Buffalo, New York comprising of Ann Janish-Schieder, Ray Lorigo, Daniel Haskin, Pat O'Connell and Leah Pinnavaia. From the very first track the listener is aware that he/she is in for something exciting, full of emotion and energy. The first cut, "Demons" grabs you with its percussive dance feel that makes you want to "reach for the light" and dance into the night with that song on repeat.

The guitars at the beginning of "perfect skin" makes you wish they would go on and on. I was happy to discover, however, the vocals are just as hypnotic. Phew.. The band follows this with a kick in the ass of "Piglet and the Black Fox" which takes you on a journey, sometimes frightening, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the track.
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Shadow Days
Doug LeBlanc
Toronto, Canada
Chemistry. No, I'm not talking about the high school subject. I'm talking about that magical quality that makes the best bands work. I'm talking about the chemistry between musicians in a band that works. Anyone who has ever seen and heard the classic lineup from Yes, or Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert with the Strawbs, or Ian Anderson and Martin Barre from Jethro Tull, will know what I'm talking about.

There is something special about the relationship; about how they work together so well they are practically seamless. The Dreaming demonstrate that in the new album called `Shadow Days'. As special and dramatic was their last album `Picturebook Rain', with the new work they have exceeded all my expectations. They combine musical styles and colours with flare and vision, to the degree that each song stands out sharply.
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Shadow Days
By Lindsay Sorrell

Shadow Days, the most recent offering from New York band The Dreaming, is an album of multifaceted tracks which defies precise categorisation. The songs on the album were written by Daniel Haskin (guitar, ebow and keyboard) and Ray Lorigo (guitar and bass). Ann Janish-Schieder, who also plays keyboard, provides the often haunting vocals, frequently complementing the music as though her voice were an additional instrument. Leah Pinnavaia adds harmonies (together with lead vocal on one track) and clarinet, while Patrick O'Connell provides drums, percussion and additional acoustic guitar. Vaguely reminiscent of a wide diversity of artists, there is a "world-music" feel to some tracks as primitive and modern influences merge, a track with a "swing" sound, two attractive instrumentals, one track which has a country flavour, and a variety of songs which make interesting listening with often thought-provoking lyrics.

The opening track, Demons, features some gentle percussion overlaid with Ann's vocals and some effective harmonising, which is followed by the slower, more wistful sounding Useful Vagueness, a beautiful track with some nice guitar and bass which changes tempo to speed up, then slow again. My 13-year old son's remark was that it reminds him of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers – on this I cannot comment but they are one of his favourite bands, so high praise!

Perfect Skin, the third track, is a very pleasant, floaty ballad with some lovely acoustic guitar, clarinet accompaniment and interesting lyrics about the impossibility of living up to the perfect screen images portrayed by female Hollywood screen goddesses. This particular track reminds me vaguely of Illusion, a band I enjoyed listening to way back in the 1970s.

Piglet and the Black Fox changes the mood entirely; a rockier song altogether which alternates between prog rock electric guitar, haunting keyboard and distant female echoes, at times almost punkish vocals sound reminiscent of Siouxsie Sioux, highlighting the versatility of The Dreaming. This track seamlessly segues into Love is a Grieving Thing, once again slower and more melodic, with lyrics reflected in the title. Supernova follows, a meandering, spacey song with some sensitive clarinet playing and melodic electric guitar. The next track is the first of two instrumentals, Loki; very attractive indeed.

My Resurrection follows, initially with a "big" sound which mellows and once again wends and weaves its way, overlaid with Anne's vocals. Mourning Rain, pulls more surprises out of the bag as it has a folky, almost country, feel both lyrically and musically, largely supplied by the addition of Joe Pinnavaia on mandolin. This is followed by Hard Enough, where swing appears to be the major influence!

The album finishes with The Dreaming, an ethereal sounding track which for me evokes "the Dreaming" of Aboriginal culture, timeless tales passed from one generation to the next of the natural world and its creation.

Picturebook Rain
review by www.MusicalDiscoveries.com

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(13 October 2002) Based out of Buffalo, New York, and featuring Ann Janish, Ray Lorigo, Daniel Haskin, and Pat O'Connell, The Dreaming blend myriads of styles, from alternative folk, to jazz, to ethereal, to progressive, weaving their own style of musical soundscape. The artists are all established in the Buffalo jazz and folk scene.

The Dreaming's full length album Picturebook Rain (Dreamtime Records (USA), 2002) has just been released. This album follows a six-track EP entitled Silent (Dreamtime Records (USA), 2000) released almost two years ago. We review them both here.
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Silent
Buffalo News, Buffalo Wax 6/8/01

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Dulcet vocals, graceful instrumentation and sweet melodies lull the listener into a relaxed, dreamlike state on the debut CD by the band appropriately called the Dreaming. Ann Janish, known for her jazz singing and stage work, has the right voice for this lush material. The songwriters, especially guitarist Daniel Haskin, have penned songs with a cinematic feel - softly symphonic and luxuriously supple. Janish's delicate vocals and the soft strings, whether the classical guitar of Ray Lorigo or the viola/zeta violin of Cindy McCaffery, are often enough to carry the melodious songs, including "I Think I'll Disappear" and "Need." The title track, "Silent," is serene and quite lovely. Though strings strum with a bit more spunk on "For Real," the song is still nicely relaxed. The music's beauty is spotlighted on the elegant instrumental, "Ultramarine."
- Toni Ruberto, Buffalo News
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