Outloud Dreamer - Drink the sky

Outloud Dreamer is made up of Sarah Madenbach (vocals/piano) and Carl Adami (pretty much everything else) and "Drink the sky" is their debut, self-financed release. Spread carefully over nine songs, this album is a shimmering piece of work in an otherwise lifeless sea of unemotional plastic music. If Dacianos took a less orchestral approach to writing and minimised everything, they'd probably sound like this. Sarah Medenbach is one of those people whose voice you hear once and remember forever. She comes across sounding alternately like Dido and Tori Amos.

The opening track is a fabulous mix of Portishead and Massive Attack. Sliding bass, trippy, spiralling piano loops and solid beats, which, when juxtaposed over the multi-layered vocals, paint an unforgettable picture. It could be trip-hop, but that term just doesn't seem big enough to hold Outloud Dreamer in. This album really goes beyond definition. It's wide and vague and emotional. We need to start thinking outside of the box here people.

Throughout, Sarah's vocals are angelic and beautiful, a mix of song and poetry. This girl knows how to use her voice to its fullest. The sexiness with which she utters the words, 'I can't help it if the world keeps spinning' on the second track (none of the songs appear to have titles) has to be heard. The music that Carl Adami has created sways and strays, the only thing keeping it confined in the slightest is Sarah's voice. This band's musical horizons are an eternity apart, which gives them loads of space to create in. Musical expression that touches you, deep to the core. No other name could suit this group better. This really is the sound of someone dreaming out loud.

To purchase visit: http://www.outlouddreamer.com

Ken McGrath