Flip the Page Album Review by Divide and Conquer My Nguyen
Tainted Dream is a California band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed in 2016 by Ziad Sarieddine and Jack Grossman, the band expanded in 2017 enlisting the help of East Bay Area singer/songwriter Courtney Grace and South Bay hip hop artist and drummer Warren Blackwell to flesh out the band’s sound. The new addition helped create a fuller band vibe on their latest recording entitled Flip The Page.
Oscillating from an energetic standpoint to a more tranquil melody, Flip The Page is a compelling fusion of rock and jazz with electronic notes. The electro embellishments cast a more electric light onto these chill-based rock driven songs.
Flip The Page opens up with “The Clown” that contains a cool smooth jazzy flair. The vocals are equally ambient with an atmospheric, soaring vibe. With dream and hazy sounds, the guitars give off a slightly funky riff. Overlapping vocal harmonies add in a nuanced texture to the track. Embellished hip hop vocals are layered with a bit of dissonance, offering up an airy feel to the vibe of the song.
On “The Rescue,” a pummeling electronic beat with an industrial metal-tinged flair sounds off at the start of this track. The synths flare and ambient electric guitars weave in and out of this song. A buzzing sound leans into the electronic cadence. The synths sound airy. This is a pure instrumental interlude with no vocals attached. Ambient sounds could be heard throughout. There is a soaring guitar solo near the four-minute mark.
On “Flip the track,” upbeat electronic beats start off this track with guitar licks that reverberate throughout this song, giving it a soaring feel. The vocals are executed in a rapid rap style. The rapping is an hypnotic spewing out enthused rhymes with a whirlwind cadence. Electronic vibes mixed in with electric guitar riffs spiral out into the ether of this track.
A captivating backbeat starts off the closer “Going South.” A bouncy electronic feel also coalesces. The sound of bongos race in. A pure instrumental, a radioactive electric guitar vibe rips apart in the air, exuding a soaring feel. The guitars sound psychedelic.
These are gorgeous songs with an ambient electronic sound on the backdrop. Filled with gossamer details, these stirring set of songs are ethereal washes of hazy and dreamy soundscapes that at times are tinged with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia.
Experimental in nature, Tainted Dream colors outside the lines on this eclectic album that contains a variety of genres. Though the sound is varied, the album is cohesive with a signature sound that could be detected. Innovating with a rock-based sound infused with jazz/funk/electronica, this is a chill record with a cool blend of soundscapes that will be great for everything from the dance floors, living space, or on the road.
The band includes really long intros in their tracks, which makes me think that the band really likes to jam together. The band members showcase a tight-knit chemistry as their instruments coalesce together in many an invigorating jam-session. With a background of chill electronic embellishments and a rock infused sound of jazz and blues, Flip The Page is a makeshift of the Tainted Dream's penchant to create captivating atmospheric soundscapes that will be sure to enthrall.
Fading Song Review by A&R Alicia Carpenter
Tainted Dream, founded by Ziad Sarieddine, have released the first single from their debut LP. The band, also comprised of Jack Grossman, Courtney Grace and Warren Blackwell, create art that is designed to reflect the pain we all feel. But their music simultaneously makes us see the sharp glimmers of devastating beauty within our struggles.
‘Fading’ is the first track from their album, Flip The Page, to be released in video format. The visuals within it paint the same eerie, mystifying silhouette that the vocals cause us to envisage while listening to the song. The tinkling pianos, soft, strumming of strings and breathy, ethereal vocal create a ghostly, yet somehow vital timbre. All of these sounds mingle together to create a track that will most definitely not be Fading into the background anytime soon.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that we are witnessing a lyrical farewell. The singer professes that there is one she will “never kiss again”. ‘Fading’, then, captures the fleeting, euphoric moments that inevitably come to an end and become distant reveries located in the past. But the entrancing melodies and hopefully instrumentals force us to find the poetic resonances in the love now lost.
As the sultry vocal and downtempo sounds draw to a close, we hear an interlude that can best be described as a whispering of souls. Then, the guitar fades into a quiet void: the end.