Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea - Four Stars

Mini-Reviews concentrate on the initial impression you get from an album -- what it sounds like, who does it remind you of, how does it make you feel?

Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea - Four Stars
Asheville native Tyler Ramsey is the new guitarist for Band of Horses, a terrific alt-twangy Indie Rock band in the vein of My Morning Jacket. This was his solo release before joining Band of Horses. If you dig My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses and their open, moody, echoing sound, you'll really like this album.

The pace is medium to slow, often melancholy and dreamlike, with great finger-picking acoustic guitar throughout. A lot of the finger-picking reminds me of something vaguely British for some reason -- a bit of Nick Drake, vaguely Jimmy Page, vaguely Beatlesque, very folky. The guitar is often overlaid with soft synthesized layers that add an openness and blur the edges of the songs. A few violins and fiddles with soft country drums round out the other songs.

The best song is the title track, but the rest of the album follows closely behind. It's great night music. Dreamy, smoky, drifting in and out from song to song.

Recommended. Four stars.