I will 100% admit that there is a certain amount of pressure that comes with writing reviews for predominantly local artists. I was born and raised in Victoria, and have only ever lived in B.C. I want us to do well, all of us. I believe that when one of us succeeds, we all do a little better. With that in mind, I was nervous to jump into this role because I didn’t want to end up saying anything negative about a local artist.
So, thank fucking God for Croatia‘s latest 5-track release, Half Dreams. I go into these types of reviews objectively, but I came out of this one a real fan. The first two times I listened to Half Dreams was to get a sense of it for this article. The third time was because I genuinely enjoyed it. The fourth time was to play it for other people. Every subsequent time I’ve listened Half Dreams, it’s been to enjoy it as Croatia’s newest groupie.
The band describes the album as being about “disassociation. The intense states of half-dream, half-reality that swirl around meaningful experiences,” and that absolutely comes through—there’s an undeniably ethereal intensity to the tracks. Half Dreams is a sinisterly groovy synth-pop offering with equal measures of sonic fireworks and dark shadows created by the bright flashes of light.
Dripping with 80s nostalgia, Half Dreams feels like some cross-pollination of Phil Collins and Daft Punk . . . if both of those acts were also sexy as hell. It sounds like the type of guy who will totally impress your mom and then tie you to the bedposts when you get back to the apartment.
Both confident and yielding, misty and danceable, Croatia have created something that should be on everyone’s summer playlist. If you’re walking around town and see Croatia included on an upcoming bill, really consider checking them out. I certainly will.
Half Dreams is streaming now.