This album of roots- and Latin-flavored dream pop is hard to shake. Fernando Viciconte has a pleasant rasp of a voice that can come off like
Wilco's
Jeff Tweedy or even
John Lennon at times. (The latter particularly on "Away.") The songcraft is gorgeous, varied, and highly original, however, whether it be the way the plaintive Spanish trumpet sails in just as Fernando purrs "…clarion call" on "The Jackal," the driving indie rock of "Blue Room," or the stark, cascading beauty of "White Light." There are also plenty of
Beatlesque flourishes, while "Killer Awaits" showcases Fernando's country-folk roots. This is a stunningly pretty album by a criminally overlooked Portland, OR, artist.
Dreams of the Sun and Sky is packed with gorgeous mystery. ~ Erik Hage