Music doesn’t have to be indulgent to be lush and filled with color, and this is definitely proven true in the new single and music video “The Dream” from the mind of artist William Maselli. Maselli brings a classical sensibility to an otherwise pop-friendly song structure in “The Dream,” and where his vocals are delicate and fragile, the music they’re put before is certainly of a broad, monstrously powerful force than we’re initially prepared for. It’s all about surprises here, and although this can be said for other singles out at the moment, there are few as unique in shape as this one is.
Because a steady percussive element is absent from the arrangement in “The Dream,” I do wonder what it might have contributed to this single were it allowed to surround the melodic elements as it would have in a traditional performance. This doesn’t seem like a willful act of defiance just for the sake of being a rebel, but being that I haven’t heard a lot of other artists doing similar things with similar songs, I have to credit Maselli with going outside of the norm in this department.
The fluidity of this piece is made even stronger than it would have been in the first place through the honest lyricism that this singer has to offer us, as simplistic as it seemingly is from afar. Upon closer inspection, there’s really no debating whether or not Maselli is being himself with us in “The Dream” and putting all of his soul into these verses. This isn’t an imagining of his life or a narrative he’s trying to develop out of a fleeting idea – this is something he has to say about himself, his aspirations, and his capabilities, and it’s coming out beautifully in all regards.
I will note that the mix is pretty heavy – much heavier than it actually has to be – but it can’t be faulted with embellishing anything instrumentally. If anything, we’re getting a conservative feel for what William Maselli would sound like on a live stage, where an artist of his talents would certainly sound even more at home than he does inside the four walls of a recording studio, which can be restricting for someone as in touch with their artistry as he appears to be in “The Dream.” I’ll have to hear him in concert to know for sure, but I do get the sense this is just a glimpse into what he can really do.
In an era that is celebrating conceptualism without boundaries, this is a strangely satisfying and unabashedly classical look that deserves some serious hype in the underground this season. August has never been a big month for this kind of hybrid, but the charisma that William Maselli has will do a lot in giving this single a start that scores of other releases just aren’t afforded. There are plenty of rivalries in this player’s scene, but right now, I think it’s safe to say that Maselli stands out by himself just fine.
Chadwick Easton