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Dex Green - Imaginary War
The first drop of the metaphorical needle on the new album from Nashville-based artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Dex Green had us imagining a mash-up where the Bee Gees meet the Flaming Lips as the eerie soundtrack for an episode of sleep paralysis. Yes, "Just Like Dreaming" felt dreamy but also a tad alarming. So, it's no wonder that the following track would be titled "It's Only the End of the World" complete with its own ominous soundscapes.
Clearly, the opening two numbers on Imaginary War present a strategy to get the listener's attention with a full barrage of futuristic synths combined with an infectious dose of southern funk. This is not your standard Nashville fare and the artist describes his latest effort as, "light poetry against a heavy musical backdrop. There's a lot of room for interpretation. I hope it means a little something different to everybody."
Green himself means a lot to a lot of his own colleagues with a resume that boasts collaborations with Elvis Costello, Margo Price, Nicole Atkins, Collective Soul, Aaron Lee Tasjan and more — including a Grammy nom for his work mixing and engineering Shemekia Copeland's 2022 album Done Come Too Far.
Imaginary War is a solo effort in just about every sense of the word – he wrote every song, plays every instrument, and sings lead – but it's about as far from a "singer-songwriter" album as it gets. Many of the songs came together as instrumental tracks first, piecing the puzzle together layer by layer, often getting as far as choosing a song title before ultimately penning lyrics and a melody that fit with the music vision he had set forth for the project. Sonically, the album blends Green's array of influences from synth-driven psychedelic pop and jazz to ‘70s rhythm and blues and more, woven together with his inviting atmospheric production.
Later songs like "Unbelievable" take on a less ethereal and more solid form proving Green to be quite capable in writing for many different styles of music. With several spins of Imaginary War under our belt we're left to believe just one conclusion - that is the talented Dex is on the verge of declaring victory by winning many news fans with this release. For real!
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Review by Rockin' Rich Lynch |
Dex Green
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