Don’t let the title fool you. Sarah Brindell’s sophomore studio album, Dreaming Shoes, is not an REM-inducing record. Dreaming Shoes about going places you have never been. Intimate and adventurous, the album is constantly growing, evolving out of soul, folk, pop and jazz and infused with critical elements of Brazilian and Caribbean rhythms. Packed with individual talent—Mauricio Zottarelli (Hiromi, Esperanza Spaulding), Yaure Muniz, (Buena Vista Social Club), Nate Edgar and Mike Keenan (John Brown’s Body) as well as Aaron Bellamy and Amy Bowls (Sam Kininger Band)—Dreaming Shoes maintains its cohesiveness throughout, refusing to lean in any one direction or on any one musician. Brindell, whose previous efforts have been cooed over from east coast (the “newly minted diva of funk, pop and jazz” – Boston Globe) to west (“simply mesmerizing” – Time Out San Francisco), says, “I approached Dreaming Shoes differently because I wanted the artists to play to the song, not for their own chops”.
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The strength of Dreaming Shoes is not in the music alone. Brindell’s honey sweet voice is perhaps eclipsed only by her razor sharp song writing. The honest, emotive reflection of the opening track, Dandelion…growing where you’re never planted anyhow/ Somebody come and pull your roots out of the ground?/Wish that I could help you now Dandelion/You never quite fit in but you’re still tryin’ is juxtaposed by the alternately playful (“Truth“) and tragic (“Workaholic“). Dreaming Shoes also pays tribute to the foundation (a unique lyrical response to Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady“) and the innovative (a fresh Brazilian jazz cut of Sting’s “Message In A Bottle“). In “Little Sunflower“, Brindell’s seductive vocal and keyboard harmonies are joined with Yaure Muniz on flugelhorn, Maurico‘s percussion, Amy Bowls on organ and a funky guitar solo by Jeff Lockhart, in a wonderful display of simultaneous artistic exploration and group solidarity.
Following the bright, salsero-style guitar arrangement on “Pillow“, Brindell puts a dreamy final touch on the album with “4 AM Blues“, the same song from which she took the title (4AM blues/ Sandman’s gone away/ He took your dreaming shoes, and led your mind astray)-a fitting finale for a record that stimulates reflection through its musical texture, compelling storytelling and palpable soul. From solid Caribbean roots about to burst at the seams, to wide open Latin riffs and raw bluesy vocals, Dreaming Shoes is an inspired journey from beginning to, well, one that you just don’t want to end. Indeed, the album is a dream to listen to, and proves they do come true.
