Dream (new album 2024)

[dani]

I also like the song and find it a good starting point for the album.

Similarly, because I ordered from CD Japan my CD is due to arrive tomorrow (Oct 29)

Super jealous you will have to give a early review

[fan_de_LoK]

Has anyone received their CD yet? I don't know if members of the Japanese fan club received it early.

Sadly not. Not at the pure FC event held in the early afternoon of Sunday 27th, neither at the public event in late afternoon.
The Tower Records special signature event required you to buy a CD to enter the line, but it was to buy a reservation of a CD, not the physical CD itself yet.
The earliests CD to be released In Japan would be home delivery arriving one day too early, or the early sale at the concert venue today, near 15:30, in less than 10 hours.

[Surpinto]

Similarly, because I ordered from CD Japan my CD is due to arrive tomorrow (Oct 29)

Same

Woohoo!

I also like the song and find it a good starting point for the album.

Similarly, because I ordered from CD Japan my CD is due to arrive tomorrow (Oct 29)

Super jealous you will have to give a early review

You know I won't be able to resist doing so!

[Luckdragon]

The CD Japan package: Sticker sheet and CD.

► Show Spoiler

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I played it through once while working, but my initial reaction is that this album will rank right up there with Hope as my favorite.

I can also confirm that the names of the soloists are listed in the order their voices appear in the songs.

I'll post my thoughts on the songs after I've listened again with my full attention and allowed my feelings to percolate... or marinate. Which is better? Maybe both?

[fan_de_LoK]

The CD Japan package: Sticker sheet and CD.

The package from Rakuten: an A4 clear file
The pakage from Tower Record: a mini-diary
The pakage from the concert venue: a B3 sized poster calendar (35 * 50 cm)

With your sticker sheet, I think there is only one goodie that comes with the CD and that has not surfaced yet among the fans.
It's the large 25 * 25 cm hard cover from Amazon Japan.

► Show Spoiler

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[Yorkie]

So, I got my album from Japan today (I would have got it yesterday but I didn’t hear the DHL man knocking). After a couple of listens, I thought I’d give a quick summary of my thoughts.

Firstly, Sam has done a nice write up about the first 25 years of Libera from that first eponymous album and what he found interesting about the postproduction process. He also mentioned that ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ was celebrating 100 years and that ‘Music was Born’ is an exciting departure from Libera’s previous style. More on that later.

Seabird

I guess we all believe that Luca’s journey with Libera is now at an end. Given Joseph sang it in the concerts this summer, I was surprised to see it was Luca that recorded it for us. As has become usual when talking about Luca’s singing, it all seems so effortless and compelling. As he has shown with his personal projects, Luca has learned to tell a story when he sings and his voice and vocal control here are excellent. We’ll miss him. I would also like to say that I like the music as well so thumbs up to Mr & Mrs Hill. I find that the start with just a piano and Luca’s vocal gentle and soothing and then the strings are gradually added building to the refrain ‘I can dream’. Would it be too much to hope for more compositions of this quality from the Hill family?

One Small Voice

After hearing this one at Ely it was the one that, for whatever reason, I would find myself humming when my mind wandered. Probably the effect of Julian’s opening line of ‘One small voice is all I have to sing’ which hits you right in the feels (which I’m sure was what Sam was going for). It basically describes what Libera is about but when that one voice combines with all the others it is far more than the sum of the parts. The music is familiar and soothing; I also like the part when the bigs reply to Joseph’s plea for protection.

Dream You Of

Despite my annoyance at the archaic phrasing of the title (others may call it poetic) this is a very enjoyable song. I think Josh continues to develop interesting songs for the group and this one is perhaps his most exciting yet. It starts with a heavy overlay of reverb (I’m not sure that is quite right; it is almost like they have fed the vocal part into a synthesiser and then played it back to harmonise with the vocal line). It then turns into a solo voice (Morgan I assume with Ben doing the descant) that sounds like it could be from a movie or video game before a heavy drum bass line is added. There are echoes that resemble older Libera songs but this is overall a very new sound for them and I like it but am interested to see what the rest of you think.


The Lark’s last Song

Josh takes the saccharine tune from Liebestraume and adds some…interesting… lyrics of his own. I feel sorry for Joseph who can’t be faulted for his excellent vocal performance, but I just don’t get much from this song truth be told. Sorry Josh and (particularly) Joeseph.

Always There

Yes, it’s unmistakably Muramatsu, possibly too much so. Lyrics by Robert with some arrangement by Sam. Vocal by Morgan who gets a lot of work on this album and which reflects on his emergence as a well respected main soloist in concerts. The softness of and texture of his voice is quite unique and it really suits this song. Again, like Lark’s, the over familiarity of the tune probably does it a disservice. It is perfectly pleasant and well sung but it doesn’t set the pulse racing.

Twighlight

I thought this could be the album name but I was wrong. A welcome reprise of one of my favourite early Libera songs and this is where Morgan’s voice really gets to meld with the music – his tone is perfect for this and balanced with Pietro’s voice it really works. It was great to hear in the concert and the studio recording improves on that. A big thumbs up.

Once (Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence)

Mr Mushraffi Senior had his standout track with Ave Verum, and Mr Mushraffi Junior wasn’t going to be left out of the party. The melody of the song is sublime and Thomas’ singing is equally good, if not better. A lot of people have been wanting Thomas to get more solos in concerts and on the evidence of this they are right. I’d still like the piano to be a little more forwards but that is a small quibble. This will be a track I keep coming back to again and again.

When I am Laid in Earth

Love the deep foreboding strings that lead to the start of Joseph’s singing and how well paced his singing is, never rushing, and with excellent diction he carries whole of the song with those deep resonating strings and what I presume is also him singing the higher melody parts as well. This song is a real demonstration of Joseph’s singing and he just keeps getting better & better.


Veni Sancte Spiritu

I mentioned earlier that Dream You Of had the familiarity of a video game soundtrack, well that goes more so for Veni. Quite a catchy and upbeat song. No solo here but the group sounds good (actually saying 'good' seriously undersells how fantastic the group of singers is on this one. They sound bright, clear, young & energetic; nothing short of fantastic). The lyrics are interesting. They could be religious or perhaps they are capturing the memory of one who is no longer with us.

Resurrectio

Liam seems to have assumed the role of conductor and he makes a very strong start to his composing career with Resurrectio. Perhaps the most traditional themed lyrics, and in keeping with Libera’s church roots, it features a nice Latin opening verse which is entwined beautifully around the peaceful voices of Luca and Frederick H before exploding into a more modern beat. It then pulls back into a sole voice singing in Latin at the end. From the short previews I thought it sounded interesting and hearing the whole validates that. The step change from traditional to modern may not be to all tastes but I like it. The start and end of the song are probably the most reminiscent of an RP composition on the album, but the middle is something very new.

Going Home

Difficult to follow up the legend that is the Leiden video – a nice opportunity for Lewis Q, Edward, Theodore and Ben Hill to match the golden generation note for note.

Lullay

The return of Big Ben as a composer for the first time since Touch the Sky on the Peace album. It’s been quite the wait for a follow up to a song I really enjoyed back then and I would say that it has been worth the wait. Morgan’s first verse is delicious, we then get the contrast of Pietro and Joseph for the next verses and they are equally as brilliant. I’m not sure if Ben starts and ends with the Lully Lulla parts or just does the descants (I think the former) but honestly, I could listen to this on a loop for ever and it would definitely sing me to sleep. Gorgeous.

Music was Born

I understand that on the current tour the intro speech to Music was Born states that the E in this piece is the highest Libera have sung. Impressive and of course that honour goes to Joseph (at least I assume he gets the coup de main). Of course, we are all familiar with the music but as far as we could find Libera’s is the first recording of the song. I think hearing the whole song rather than just the clips it comes across much better than I was expecting.

Happy Christmas (War is Over)

The song that surprised me the most. When I saw the track list I dismissed it, never really being a fan of the original or John and Yoko. But sometimes the things you expect the least from turn out to be the best and this is exactly that. That opening verse by Luca is perfect and each verse after from Caleb, Frederick H, Hal & Ben are just as good. I hope that this can get some traction at Christmas and get some radio play. The message is really on point, we desperately need the wars to end – if only Libera could rule the world I suspect they would. I think we will all like it and it will be at or near the top of most favourite lists.

So, my first thoughts on the new album. It's very diverse as reflected by the numerous different contributors and that means there will be something for all tastes. I think it is a strong album and very unique in the back catalogue of Libera works. They've come a long way in the last 25 years and with the current boys and the great team that surrounds them, surely they will be going strong for another 25.

[Surpinto]

Excellent review, Yorkie! I too ordered my album from Japan and it too arrived a day late, though in my case due to "traffic" and "staff shortages"

Though Yorkie beat me to the first review at LDF , my plan was always to simply listen to the songs for the very first time with fresh ears and then write my review concurrently as I'm listening. So here we go….

Seabird
Written by two of the Libera parents, this poetic song already has a music video release and its own discussion thread. Thus, there is little need for much further commentary other than to remark how the song soars much as the seabirds it depicts. Luca does a great job carrying this solo.

One Small Voice
Another great song with its own music video and discussion thread. Like Seabird further comments aren’t particularly necessary – though I must commend the arrangement of the piece by Sam Coates as a brilliant arranger both on this song and on many others.

Dream You Of
Composed by Josh Madine this piece is more somber than the two proceeding tracks but is far from gloomy. It reminds me in its approach of a Prizeman composition with the Latin words, the prayerful lyrics, and mysterious chord structures – though certainly Josh took a different approach than Robert would have done and it shows in the best of ways! With Morgan doing the solo, and Ben Hill sharing solo duties, the music ascends and soars with a careful and well measured sobriety before again descending to its musical basis – almost like a construction followed by a deconstruction. I would say that in some respects this song epitomizes what makes Libera stand out as a choir from other choirs. While songs like this will require multiple listens on my part to really get a full feeling for, I have a hunch that I will be listening to this one more.

The Lark's Last Song
I loved this in concert and Joseph shines on the recording. I really love how the song rises to a climax and then back to Joseph for a solo with a nice outro. It's just a really pleasant song that I enjoyed both in concert and in recording.

Always There
A Takatsugu Muramatsu song with his inimitable chord structures throughout most the song; though he does divert into a slightly different and unexpected direction with a short segment of the song in the middle which isn’t as soaring or saccharine as the rest – before returning again to the main theme once more. I honestly thought I’d not take to this song because the preview sounded too much like “Angel” which, though a good song, I’ve had enough of after so many years But it’s almost like the best parts of “Angel”, “Far Away”, etc have been combined in a really good way. Parts of this song are almost ear wormish! I'm sure that after a few listens it'll wear on me but it's okay for now.

Twilight
Much like the version released on Free, I hear no significant differences. Morgan and Pietro do a commendable job on this classic Libera song. Since this isn’t a new song, and because it matches the version sung recently in concert and discussed at that time, I won’t add any further remarks.

Once (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence)
This song is, to me anyway, stylistically different and unique as a Libera song, but I quickly took to it all the same. That’s one of the cool things about Libera – the ability of Sam and the team to compose or arrange songs for the choir that give the audience something new while still maintaining Libera’s unique shine. I find this song difficult to categorize; though in keeping with its lyrics it is rather dreamlike and calm. I definitely need to listen to this one a few more times but I find it compelling in a number of ways that I'm not sure I'm yet ready to put to words. I will say this though: it's a really cool song!

When I am Laid in Earth (Dido’s Lament)
This is probably the song I was most curious about when I saw it on the track list. The most classical in execution among the songs on the album! Its short lyrics are like a specter crying out from the bowels of the grave to not be forgotten. Joseph’s voice shines through brilliantly in this lamentation.

Veni Sancte Spiritus
The title suggests another calm song, but this one is more upbeat than expected by title alone. It’s catchy and fun and repetitive in a nice way. The harmonies are expertly composed by Raoul Neumann and Sam Coates. My guess is that Sam played only a secondary role in the composition of this song because he's more of an arranger than a composer from everything we have seen over the years. To be sure that's no slight though as arranging music can be just as difficult as composing it, and maybe more!

Resurrectio
At the beginning it is a mysterious song along the lines of “Mysterium”, “Lament”, and songs of a similar nature. But less than a minute into the song we have percussion and the song rises to an unexpected power! Later when Freddie H and Luca are duetting back and forth, I found myself blown away by the style of musical construction used on this song – there is just so much happening. First, the piece feels to me like it has multiple movements like a mass setting, oratorio, or symphony but all squeezed into a much shorter time frame. Second, the compositional approach is akin to something like Mozart’s Requiem….though less in terms of the key signatures or musical themes, but merely in the compositional approach. It’s more the quick rising and falling of the sections of the song I would say, and it works really well. I can’t recall any Libera song prior to this which had this sort of dueling soloists as what I heard on here, nor that had so many “movements” – if we can even call them such. This song is so powerful yet doesn't overwhelm or become too much. I'm absolutely impressed by this song both in terms of the compositional choices made as well as the performance! Wow! Liam Connery needs to compose more music for them if this is the sort of thing we can come to expect from him.

Going Home
As this song was released on their Angel Voices album years ago I won’t comment on this remake except to compliment the recording of the song and the soloists. Lewis has a unique and lovely voice which has that lower range just peeking through, while the others further sweeten the song with their more pure treble voices in the higher register. It all works nicely.

Lullay
A soothing song in which the soloists one by one (and with an angelic choir ) serenade us as we ascend to the dream clouds. A cool song that I think is really peaceful in a transcendent sense. More listens needed!

Music was Born (from Rhapsody in Blue)
Well it’s Gershwin and so that is as expected . Since Libera has never ventured into anything even remotely approaching the jazz music of this style, I didn’t know what to make of this song at first. The execution is lovely, and I like that they feel confident enough to explore new and uncharted styles. I have a feeling that I’ll need more listens to really warm up to it as there’s a lot to absorb in their arrangement, but I quite like it already!

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
I know that many of us, including myself, were excited for this song. It was great to hear all of the individual voices as they sang the verses, and the song was elevated in this Libera arrangement! Excellent song! And as Yorkie commented “The message is really on point, we desperately need the wars to end – if only Libera could rule the world I suspect they would.” Amen, brother, amen!





To summarize my review, this is a wonderful album with an inordinate amount of new music that I think will appeal to broad swaths of fan base. I’m fairly certain that the number of unique composers and arrangers on this album who are directly affiliated with Libera (i.e. former choir members) is unparalleled in Libera’s history. Though I haven't picked top favorite songs yet, I'm sure that some will soon emerge. What's really surprising is that of the brand new songs, none have been uninteresting or even plain neutral or to me; instead, I like all of them. While it's no surprise that I like most of the album (we're all fans here so it would be surprising if someone at this forum hated much of an album) I'm surprised just how much I like it! Well done, Libera!

[fugalharmony]

I was already eager to hear the "Resurrectio" and "Dream You Of" tracks, but reading these two reviews is making me almost crazy with anticipation. I'm supposed to receive my CD on Saturday and I hope it isn't late.

[Yorkie]

I was already eager to hear the "Resurrectio" and "Dream You Of" tracks, but reading these two reviews is making me almost crazy with anticipation. I'm supposed to receive my CD on Saturday and I hope it isn't late.

Two tracks that I find very enjoyable but I can see that they might not be universally loved. Both have elements that are classic Libera but they also have a strong divergence part way through to something new. I think you will like them

[Yorkie]

Excellent review, Yorkie! I too ordered my album from Japan and it too arrived a day late, though in my case due to "traffic" and "staff shortages"

Though Yorkie beat me to the first review at LDF , my plan was always to simply listen to the songs for the very first time with fresh ears and then write my review concurrently as I'm listening. So here we go….

You snooze, you lose

It seems like we have viewed the album in much the same way so surely we can't both be wrong! Although you do like 'Larks' more than I do and I feel bad that despite Joseph's best efforts I can't warm to it more

[Padmachou]

Thank you for your reviews ! I have decided on an economic choice this year, and will be waiting the Occidental album, so... one more month to go. Hopefully I will get it before the London concert, otherwise I will discover new songs live, which is nice as well ! (I thought afterwards I could have bought it at the concert directly, but... well )
When reading your thoughts it seems to be a very special album. I had a lot of expectations for Forever, but I must say it's even more exciting this time with so many alumnis as composers !

[Surpinto]

Excellent review, Yorkie! I too ordered my album from Japan and it too arrived a day late, though in my case due to "traffic" and "staff shortages"

Though Yorkie beat me to the first review at LDF , my plan was always to simply listen to the songs for the very first time with fresh ears and then write my review concurrently as I'm listening. So here we go….

You snooze, you lose

I blame DHL!

It seems like we have viewed the album in much the same way so surely we can't both be wrong! Although you do like 'Larks' more than I do and I feel bad that despite Joseph's best efforts I can't warm to it more

Well, great minds either think alike, or fools seldom differ....take your pick

Yeah, I do like "Lark's Last Song" but I can see how the melody might be too familiar, saccharine, or uninteresting for some. To me it's a pretty little tune with, as you say, Joseph's excellent vocal performance.

With time we'll see which songs truly captivate us and go on to be personal favorites. In my case I don't yet know if "When I am Laid in Earth" will be one that I will want to listen to over and over again. It could go either way! I bet it would be AMAZING in live concert but it might be too much of dirge or requiem (and so it is I guess), than what I might want to listen to from the choir more regularly....though who knows what more listens might do!

[Yorkie]

Well, great minds either think alike, or fools seldom differ....take your pick

Oh, I hadn't thought of that saying

With time we'll see which songs truly captivate us and go on to be personal favorites. In my case I don't yet know if "When I am Laid in Earth" will be one that I will want to listen to over and over again. It could go either way! I bet it would be AMAZING in live concert but it might be too much of dirge or requiem (and so it is I guess), than what I might want to listen to from the choir more regularly....though who knows what more listens might do!

Well, I understand your viewpoint but what I like about the Dido's piece is Joseph's delivery of the lyrics. His pacing is perfect, his diction is clear & he takes his time to end his words fully. It's laser precise and I find it mesmerising and so compelling that as soon as it is finished I go back and listen again. Love it.

[Surpinto]

Well, I understand your viewpoint but what I like about the Dido's piece is Joseph's delivery of the lyrics. His pacing is perfect, his diction is clear & he takes his time to end his words fully. It's laser precise and I find it mesmerising and so compelling that as soon as it is finished I go back and listen again. Love it.

Yup! He's a standout on every song that he did on this album.

[Mercurial909]

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but as gorgeous as we know Jospeh’s voice is, I hope he doesn’t dominate to the extent that other boys are sidelined or given scant opportunities to shine.

I’ve seen it happen far too often and ultimately we’re left the poorer for it. It seemed as though lads like Flynn Marks, Matt Jansen, Lucas Wood, Alessandro M-B, Camden, Taichi, and Nathaniel had had their wings clipped so that we only ever got fleeting moments of their talents.

I’m glad the latest album has a variety of soloists, but it seems as though most of them are having those…fleeting moments, between a couple of dominant soloists. Some of those lads may not get another chance to solo on an album is all I’m saying. No shade to the fine featured soloists. #JMO