Dreamland
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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 79 Ratings

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  • Summary: The third full-length release for the British psychedelic pop band led by Dave Bayley (who also produced the album) was executive produced by Paul Epworth.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. DIY Magazine
    Aug 7, 2020
    100
    They have crafted a new geography of their own, pulling together all of their strengths and vulnerabilities.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    Aug 6, 2020
    80
    It’s a sun-drenched record of summer tunes that will sound even better when heard at festivals with a tinnie in hand. Yet look behind glittering shells of these tunes and you’ll find hugely personal stories, told with new strength and resilience.
  3. Clash Music
    Aug 6, 2020
    80
    A brave and ultimately bold move, it’s hugely effective – direct yet sumptuously nuanced, ‘Dreamland’ is a triumph.
  4. AllMusic
    Aug 11, 2020
    80
    Glass Animals' most cohesive and satisfying album to date, Dreamland is a well-deserved triumph that's as rewarding for fans to hear as it was for the band to make.
  5. musicOMH.com
    Aug 27, 2020
    80
    Bleak memories are retold here, and at times you really have to stick with Bayley with a sympathetic ear as the album extends to 16 tracks, including childhood interludes. But it’s delivered in an exuberant manner and, despite some very profound lyrics, songs such as singles Heat Waves and Your Love (Déjà Vu) would have had kids dancing at the festivals in the summer sunshine.
  6. The Guardian
    Aug 7, 2020
    60
    It retains their hallucinogenic sound but injects it with more glimmers of autobiography than they’ve ever previously shared.
  7. No Ripcord
    Aug 17, 2020
    40
    Despite the amount of effort that appears at the surface, from the several websites to the layered and unique production, Dreamland is a project that’s as momentarily annoying as it is infinitely forgettable.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. thiagopinheirx
    Aug 8, 2020
    10
    never done before, totally unique, breathtaking, showstopping, incredible & amazing.
  2. Spaceghostcoast
    Sep 8, 2020
    10
    There is NOTHING that compares to the way that this album makes me feel. Like I feel like There is something WRONG with me because theThere is NOTHING that compares to the way that this album makes me feel. Like I feel like There is something WRONG with me because the feeelings that come from listening to “heat waves” and “hot sugar” make me feel somewhat insane. Like this is what love feels like?!? Anyways, greatest album in the history of the universe.… Expand
  4. Molec_ule
    Jan 20, 2023
    10
    From the feeling of confusion and dreaminess in dreamland to the kafkaesque feeling of falling in and out of love presented in tangerine andFrom the feeling of confusion and dreaminess in dreamland to the kafkaesque feeling of falling in and out of love presented in tangerine and your love. To the moments of silence, and the feeling of summer memories makes this a perfect album for me.… Expand
  5. Duraludon
    Aug 7, 2020
    9
    A sublime album filled with songs that feel like you're moving through a dream. An immaculate album from Glass Animals, this might be theirA sublime album filled with songs that feel like you're moving through a dream. An immaculate album from Glass Animals, this might be their best work yet.… Expand
  6. ScreenScraggy22
    Aug 18, 2020
    9
    So good. Filled with beautiful melodies and slappin beats. Such a fantastic listen all the way through
  7. gggail
    Oct 28, 2020
    9
    In all honesty I could talk for days about how this album creates a soundscape that both impresses and intrigues. Glass Animals have managedIn all honesty I could talk for days about how this album creates a soundscape that both impresses and intrigues. Glass Animals have managed to hone in on their sound without creating an album that feels repetitive, it is distinctively them and I love it.… Expand
  8. bjhh
    Aug 7, 2020
    7
    When I initially listened to this album I was expecting my score to be MUCH lower. However it has managed to surpass my rather lowWhen I initially listened to this album I was expecting my score to be MUCH lower. However it has managed to surpass my rather low expectations (I wasn't keen on the majority of the teasers).

    There are tracks that feel like classic Glass Animals but being taken in a different direction that's been influenced by Dave's recent producing exploits for 'trap' artists (Tangerine). The most obvious sign of this is the way most of the beats seem to have been created through machine percussion as opposed to a studio drum kit. While this works very well in the case of Tangerine, there is a sense of this becoming a repetitive trait after a few tracks (just a kick drum or two would be fine!)

    That said, the second half of the album is probably better than the first. The songs feel more stripped back, honest and raw. The build on It's All So Incredibly Loud is satisfying while Domestic Bliss feels extremely dreamy (even if the lyrical matter doesn't really fit this kind of vibe).

    Quite a lot of this album feels like it varies between good (above tracks and Your Love) and quite good (Space Ghost, Waterfalls... and Heat Waves). Unfortunately there are still one or two which are far off Glass Animals' best work. Helium does not feel like a coherent song, let alone a strong album closer, as it jars between two different ideas for the same song, a reprise of the album's opener and the home movies that intersperse the album. Melon and the Coconut also feels it could do with a bit more life being put into it; it's just a bit too spaced out.

    Overall, this is probably the weakest album from Glass Animals to date, and I'm still giving it a 7! It shows the band are keen to continue evolving their sound. Even if this does result in a few misses, the majority hit the right spots which many will be able to relate to some points in their lives.    … Expand

See all 22 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Most Discussed Album of 2020

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