After Osmosis – “What Do You See When You Dream?” [Album Review]

After Osmosis has hit the post-rock scene with a prodigious splash. An instrumental group from Albuquerque, New Mexico, What Do You See When You Dream? is their latest release and, if you’re into post-rock, this release is a must for your playlist. After Osmosis is reminiscent of groups like Tides of Man, Jakob, Maserati, and perhaps a less dramatic If these Trees Could Talk. A.J. McQuay, guitarist and songwriter, describes the debut LP as “…a concept record of sorts.”

The band released their first self-titled EP in 2014, which received generally positive reviews and a demand for more music. Following this, the group came out with an ambient single titled “Onliest” on April 1, 2016 while What Do You See When You Dream? was being mastered. “Onliest” essentially summarized what fans could expect from the album without giving too much away. In response to the hype the initial EP mustered, the band graced its listeners with a full-length indeed.

So, what can you expect, and why should you invest your time? What Do You See When You Dream? features brilliant guitar work woven through the entirety of the record; jazzy riffs that might seem like they’d never fit in if listened to isolated from the tracks swim gracefully along with the rest. Who needs vocals when you have guitar strings swaying your sentiments to and fro?

This album takes your emotions in all the places they need to go, and then some. The title track leads you in with ultimate optimism. “All your dreams can come true!” it yells from the top of a mountain. With Explosions in the Sky-esque positivity garnishing this track, you expect an ultimately uplifting album. Yet, what follows is a journey into the darker spaces of the mind. Optimism turns into fear, guilt, apprehension, unsurety, and hazy memories, but leaves the listener with a quintessential drive to move forward and flourish.

The tracks are aptly named to describe various moments and glimpses of life, and the wonderings of humankind. Titles like “Images of Days Gone By”, “A Favorite Place” and “Distant Loved Ones” are all dream possibilities and take you to those very places. These songs are a self-fulfilling prophecy, and after all, where does music fit into free will? “Is It Darkness, Or Is It Light” pretty much describes that question.

These track titles are relevant and crucial to the listening experience, as McQuay puts it, “I challenged myself to write song titles first then compose music to fit, and this was the result.” What Do You See When You Dream? is a solid debut LP and After Osmosis has a promising future ahead of them. Keep tabs on these guys!

What Do You See When You Dream? Track Listing:

01. What Do You See When You Dream
02. Is It Darkness Or Is It Light
03. Images Of Days Gone By
04. Distant Loved Ones
05. A Favorite Place
06. Reliving a Fear You Faced
07. Whatever You See, Hold on Tight
08. This Dream Only Lasts The Night

Run Time: 35:21
Release Date: May 31, 2016

Check out the song “Reliving A Fear You Faced”