THE DREAM MACHINE TAKES US ON A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP OF SEASIDE TOWN NOSTALGIA IN NEW ALBUM ‘FORT PERCH HEART’

ALBUM REVIEW | THE DREAM MACHINE – FORT PERCH HEART’ by Tom Whittleton

Merseyside 5-piece The Dream Machine take a trip to Fort Perch Rock on their third album. A psychedelic adventure through a British seaside town, abandoned arcades, and seagull cackles pour through the cracks of this melodically expansive offering.

We’ve all been on one of those family holidays to a seaside “resort” haven’t we? One of the many Victorian jewels in the crown of the quintessential English summer, boarded-up shop windows and the ghosts of dropped ice cream past. The Dream Machine, inspired by their coastal home of New Brighton have delivered an album soaked in the formative memories of those times in your childhood and teens, when the possibility of fun, and often mischief, was found on the beaches of dear old Blighty.

A tapestry of multi-layered psychedelic garage twang, Fort Perch Rock is on the horizon, so put down the bucket and spade and press play, shall we?

The album’s title track, ‘Fort Perch Rock’, flies out of the gate with a rockabilly freak out, a theme tune to a beachside brawl, mods and rockers falling through sun loungers.

With a Cramps-style vocal delivery, Zak McDonnell gives an unhinged, speedy performance whilst the rest of The Dream Machine flirt with Stooges Raw Power guitar screams. A little less than 2 minutes long, ‘Fort Perch Rock’ delivers a throat-punching opening track and a fantastic introduction to the world this band inhabit.

Track two, ‘Flowers on Razorwire’, is a tonal shift from the first. A halcyon summer day with someone you know will leave eventually, but you throw caution to the wind. McDonell whines and howls about the subject, “She likes the songs from the Damned and I don’t,” adds a boyish charm to the situation he’s presenting.

An organ and fuzzy guitar intro lead you into the heart of the story before the chorus drums rolls its way in with that Ringo Starr shuffle. In its essence, an indie pop tune, but with enough layers of 60s psychy proto-punk to keep my jaded ears pressing repeat.

The romance continues into the lead single ‘Things That Make Us Cry’, a suite of Brian Wilson-esque passion and raw emotion. Sonically layered with reverb, backing vocals, and a repeated piano walk that would be comfortable on Pet Sounds. McDonell returns with a light, tender performance. Like a sunset over the Irish sea, he spends even more moments with his nameless lover before they fade out across the water. It is a textured performance carried by a padlock-tight rhythm section, Jack Inchboard (Bass) and Issac Salisbury (drums) respectively, provide a restrained but on point back beat that complements the feelings on the track.

‘Angel Heart’ continues the experience that The Dream Machine are walking us through. Opening with an organ sound ripped right from the garage rock distant past of those seminal singles ’96 Tears’ by Question Mark and The Mysterians instantly comes to mind. Cinematic guitar rings out from Matt Gouldson, building the psychedelic wall of sound production even more.

The next highlight on the album is ‘Duck Bone Fever’, a full tilt further into The 13th Floor Elevators’ smash the gaff up proto punk. A trippy encounter with Donald Duck and dreams of flying. Fever by name and fevered by nature, this song feels like the in and out conscious experience of either an illness so bad you hallucinate or some incredibly potent LSD.

We are nearly halfway through Fort Perch Rock, and the way the band flirt with the heartbreakingly real and imagined landscapes they present is new and exciting. In a constant variation of instruments, shifts in tone and pace, it makes them stand out against the recent quagmire of Fontaines D.C. post-punk clones, and the less adventurous sides of indie pop which currently plagues new guitar music. To avoid any legal action related to my opinions on the current state of British independent music though, I will stick to reviewing the album at hand, yeah?

‘I Had A Friend’ has a Stones-y soulful start with a swinging 60s London sound well on its way to its California hippie future. An ode to a friend or perhaps the lover who appears across the album its a beautiful tune about childhood memory. Playing down the park or on the beach. That time of endless optimism soundtracked by The Dream Machines’ rhythm and blues-driven pop.

The next standout moments come from ‘Julie On The Rocks’, a return to the indie pop side of The Dream Machines’ repertoire where Inchwood’s bass carries the track forward. It feels inspired by The Growlers ‘Chinese Fountain’ era. The song drifts out with more of those reverbed vocals and a guitar melody which screeches through the mix.

By now, I’m well aware that The Dream Machine adore psychedelia in all of its many facets. What I was not expecting from this album was an 8-minute Doorsy epic towards the end. ‘The First Bird’ is a band flexing their muscles in the most stunningly complex, almost ritualistic outpouring of talent. It’s not jamming for the sake of it. There is no fret wankery here.

Fort Perch Rock has taken a turn into the dark, self-reflective part of the trip. Summer days have turned to night. McDonnell summons something from within himself, and he shows restraint until screeching, moaning, and wailing through lyrics on death, whilst the band are so tight in a Floyd groove echoing across a beach and not the walls of pompeis coleseum. McDonnell channels Morrison, Iggy pop and elements of a mid demonic possession Mick Jagger.

The trips over now, the haze of highs and lows have disipated. You’ve fallen in and out of love, had a fist fight on the beach, played with your pals in the park and even had a chance encounter with a fictional talking duck called Donald. You are packing your towels and loading the car, ready to head home after a summer holiday to Fort Perch Rock that you won’t soon forget. Not without a final send-off and wave from The Dream Machine, ‘Best Days Of Our Lives’ is an acoustic ode to future hopes and dreams and the reflections that come with being an adult. Only to realise that your best days have already happened, but there is a beauty in that.

The Dream Machine have presented a multilayered album with a band and frontman offering sweeping melodies, guitar tones that make you want to stare endlessly at their pedal boards and songs we can all relate to on some level. Whether it’s first loves or childhood trips down memory lane. Anyone else really fancy a 99 with a flake in it?

Fort Perch Rock is out on the 27th of February via Run On Records and is available on all platforms.

Currently on tour with Kula Shaker on their EU run, The Dream Machine will take on a string of in store appearances and signings at UK record stores beginning March 8th at Liverpool’s Jacaranda before concluding with a landmark homecoming celebration at Liverpool’s O2 Academy on Friday 27th March.

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