When poets get to singing… For some it is a problem, for others, it is a blessing, Dylan, Cohen, Simon, Oberst and yes, based on his first solo album, In The Kingdom of Dreams, you can add Ian Felice to that group.
And it is not just because he published a companion book of poetry Hotel Swampland, to coincide with this album. Three other reasons immediately come to mind - he has ample musical experience with Felice Brothers, the band he’s in with his two other siblings, the songs he wrote for the album in no way lag behind the brilliant Americana stuff, Felice Brothers have come up on their 14(!) or so albums they have come up with so far, he has that fragility and quirkiness element in his voice like most of the above mentioned and last but not least, he’s a good poet too.
Felice’s kingdom of dreams deals a lot with the memories of past, those he remembers quite vividly (“In Memoriam”, “Water Street”), some he was told about, so it turns out to be a learned memory, or with visions of the future, mostly visions that are not so bright (“In The Kingdom of Dreams”, “21st Century”).
What is quite impressive is the understated backing most of the songs here have, but still create an atmosphere that grips the listener (try “Signs of Spring” or “Ten to One”). Even the songs that do include, more detailed instrumentation “”Will I Ever Reach Laredo”), do not over do it in any manner - throughout the album the accent is on Felice, his voice and his lyrics.
And what lyrics they are - from ‘strictly personal’ as certain Don Van Vliet used to say to political future observations like on “21st Century”
:"Well the aliens landed on election day
And they stole your mother’s lingerie"
"They said your empire is about to fall
You’re just shoppers in an endless mall
And they stole all the pills
In the Hollywood hills" – 21st Century
It doesn’t matter whether you know something of or have heard The Felice Brothers before, Ian Felice’s In The Kingdom of Dreams” stands firmly on its feet as an exemplary musical and lyrical achievement.
