Apsylon: Dreaming of Yesterday

Finding a unique album is becoming increasingly difficult in today's culture. Most albums seem to rehash the same music over and over again. In the case of Apsylon, that is not the case; their musical influences obviously stem from a mixture of rock, classical, and Celtic folk music, all of which they manage to blend beautifully. On their album, Dreaming of Yesterday, each song pulls you in, wrapping you up in a blanket that is both unfamiliar but comforting. “Serenade” acts as a beautiful introduction to the album, with soothing tones that give you a preview at what to expect as far as the rest of the album goes. “Dreaming of Yesterday,” the title-track of the album is more jazz-driven, sounding like it could be part of a musical score for a James Bond film. Each note is carefully crafted to perfection, while still retaining a rawness that is so greatly valued. The song features sneaky, calculating music with blunt and honest lyrics delivered by powerful vocals. Moving through the album, it seems even more influences seem to show themselves, including an almost-Latin influence on the guitar featured in “Lena,” a song powerfully driven by a narrative that has you imagining a music-video in your head. “All I Think About” is the song I can practically hear on the radio; it's the love song that the Beatles never got the chance to make, the song a lot of modern artists couldn't pull off, and the song that you hope to hear on your Valentine's Day Mix. The vocals are raw and the song is sweet, each note making you bob your head. It's the kind of song that you want to dance around to like a crazy person, singing, “All I think about is you,” while practicing your “signature” rock-star pout. Of course, the album finishes off beautifully, showing it's classical influences on “Prelude.” The whole album is a fantastic display of artistry with a unique sound. Dreaming of Yesterday is well-done and the musicianship of Tedy Madl, Jenny Brooks, Peggy Baldwin, and Marissa Mendenhall is something to celebrate for definite. Mendenhall's vocals are easy to recognize; they are all her own, a true original. If you're looking for an album to change your opinion of the music of today, go and purchase Dreaming of Yesterday. You won't be disappointed. Click here to preview the whole album.