Shallow Alcove is a band from New York, fronted by Grace Krichbaum and Dan Harris. Last week, they released a 3 song pack, leading off with the single, “Dream Song”. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so immediately infatuated with a song, particularly from a band or artist that I had never heard of before. This song is genuinely beautiful, from its lyrical content to its soundscape. It’s musically sweet, emotionally rich, and profoundly well-written. 

For me, the most endearing quality of “Dream Song'' is its songwriting. The song’s style of writing verges on prose. Not that it's without its poetic conventions, but the lyrics are raw and brutally honest. They feel more conversational than they do poetry. Such a writing style captures the authentic nature of the song’s content. “Dream Song” explores a past high school/college relationship. It’s a song of reminiscence in a way that appreciates the good and acknowledges the bad. There is no malice in the thoughts of the speaker. In fact, the song is full of genuine care and love. To encapsulate the song in a single line, the speaker says “just wanna press my nose up to the glass of your life.”  In a few short verses, we’re given a world of storytelling. The speaker offers a detailed image of this relationship. There was a connection between the two, but for whatever reason, they just didn’t work out beyond that. “Dream Song” is the furthest from a romanticized depiction of love. It’s bittersweet, particularly in its ending. The speaker says, “We let go of our grip / but I wouldn’t change it.” This entire song shows how much she still loves and cares for this person, but she still makes sure to assert that even if she could go back, she wouldn’t change anything. They simply weren’t meant for each other. But that doesn’t mean you can’t check in and still care for that person and their well-being. That sentiment goes both ways when, in the second verse, she talks about how, out of the blue, her ex sent a video of Coldplay performing “Yellow”, which happened to be her favorite song when they were dating. It’s a small act but it shows that their relationship was valued both ways, and that her ex still thinks of her in the same way she thinks of them. Oftentimes, in my generation, people part ways and cut each other out of their lives completely. People become strangers. It’s an odd phenomenon that I believe (at least partly) is enabled by social media and its influence on all of us. We can easily block people on everything from socials to personal numbers. And due to that, we can just as easily block people from our daily lives. While I think we should be able to do that and it’s good that we can, I find that people tend to rely on it to hide and erase their past. This song is the exact opposite of that. “Dream Song” lives in the bridges it builds between its characters. 

I really enjoy the structure of this track, or lack thereof. While a structure is, of course, present, it’s rather loose in its nature. The line between verse and hook is quite blurred. And I enjoy that. It further adds to the diary-esque essence of the writing style. The instrumentation on this song is lovely. Shallow Alcove doesn’t just have fabulous songwriting, every contributor offers something of beauty to the song. Whether it be the acoustic string instruments that offer stellar melodies or vocal layering from various members that bring such a lush cadence to an already passionate song. From songwriting to production, “Dream Song” is a wonderful display of talent that is clearly embedded in the members of Shallow Alcove. 

In order to find new music, I listen to over a hundred songs a week sometimes. Which, of course, can become exhaustive. But nothing makes me happier than when I stumble across a gem. Something I would’ve never heard otherwise. It’s revitalizing. It’s joyous. When I first heard “Dream Song”, I got that feeling. I listened to it five times over, and then sent it to multiple friends of mine who I thought might enjoy it or appreciate its prose writing style. I’m looking forward to giving Shallow Alcove a proper deepdive and hope to review more of their music. In the meantime, if you don’t listen to this song, at least heed its message. If someone you care for pops into your head: text them, call them, reach out. Whether it's someone you haven’t seen in a decade, or someone you saw yesterday. Any day could be our last. It’s important to talk to people while we can, and build bridges to those we may have alienated ourselves from. There’s beauty in the love we hold for others and freedom in expressing it. Take Shallow Alcove’s rule to heart, “If I see you in my dreams three times in a week / I have to reach out and see if you’re doing fine.” 

Author: Jordan

Jordan Wisniewski is a passionate writer and Hip-Hop artist from North Carolina, US.