Dream of a Man in a Top Hat – Eggshell Minefield (2022)
With their single ‘Cold Hard Dirt’, Dream of a Man in a Top Hat wandered into some country tones, added a sprinkling of cosmic shimmer and has us rocking out to the quirky sound. With their latest single ‘Eggshell Minefield’, they are heading back to more familiar classic and alternative rock territory. With a pulsing rock sound that dances along the edges of psychedelia, they draw you into the tale of their lyrics.
The fourth release from the band, their post-punk roots are shining through the instrumentation of the track. Through this single, they are really showing us that they have quite a lot more to offer while getting us undeniably excited for what they might have up their sleeves for the future. If their last single had you interested in their sound, this is the one that could just get you hooked.
The psychedelic touch of ‘Eggshell Minefield’ tickles your senses from the first word. The vocals have a hazy psychedelic edge to them that tosses you back in time to the music of the past. This edge to the vocals enhances the overall delivery that seems to echo out into the ether before snapping back toward you. It is a really interesting performance that is quite unique as it touches on something rather retro, only to bring the barest hints of modernity and futurism. In the chorus, the echoing of the vocals is turned up a notch with layers of echoing voices filtering out in different directions. While this haziness to the vocals creates a slight feeling of detachment, they are still really easy to connect with. This is due in part to the lyrics that reach across the music to sink into your senses and pull you into the track.
Beneath the hazy vocals is an extremely dynamic melody that draws various elements together, that you don’t think would work but somehow do. There is a driving beat that seems to march you down the melody, while the guitars scratch across it with their slightly more aggressive rock flow. Washing over all of this is a light touch of tip-toes into the higher levels of the melody. Each time you listen to the track, you are hit with another element in the melody that you never noticed before. This is absolutely wonderful as it keeps you engaged while enhancing the vocals that rise above the music.
With a truly outstanding dynamic melody and vocals that edge on psychedelia, Dream of a Man in a Top Hat draw you into ‘Eggshell Minefield’ while getting you hooked to their sound. The vocals grab your attention first with their psychedelic tones, before the push of the melody sends you marching into the soundscape. There is a wonderful interplay between the rather hazy vocals and the multi-layered melody that tosses up something new each time you listen.
Find out more about Dream of a Man in a Top Hat on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
