Ana Egge, ‘Dreamer’
from Bright Shadow
“Dreamer,” the opening track on North Dakota folksinger Ana Egge‘s seventh studio album Bright Shadow, demands attention in spite of its subtle, subdued nature. Members of the roots trio The Stray Birds are Egge’s collaborators on Bright Shadow, and it’s fairly obvious that they all harbor a mutual appreciation and musical understanding.
“Dreamer” opens with Charlie Muench’s cool upright-bass line; then, Egge’s unique voice slinks in alongside Oliver Craven’s vocal harmony. It took me a few listens to convince myself that there isn’t any acoustic guitar in the song — this could be straight-up cool jazz until Craven’s dark fiddle playing removes all doubt that it’s a moody folk tune. The words encourage the mystery and fearlessness felt during dream sequences to come alive in the waking life; it’s a sentiment that coincides wonderfully with the dreamlike groove Egge and The Stray Birds create.
—Cindy Howes, Folk Alley