Few contemporary noise-rock records embrace excess with as much conviction as Velveteen’s ‘My Dreams Are Changing’. Rather than polishing away rough edges or chasing clarity for its own sake, the London quartet commit to a philosophy in which distortion becomes language and volume becomes emotion. After the pause that followed ‘Empty Crush’ (Shelflife Records, 2022), the band returns with a release that expands both its sonic ambition and emotional reach, embracing the immersive spirit of classic shoegaze while retaining the confrontational force of noise rock. It is an EP that values atmosphere as much as momentum, proving that obscured vocals and saturated guitars can reveal surprising emotional depth when handled with this level of confidence.
The title track, “My Dreams Are Changing”, immediately establishes the record’s aesthetic. Layers of overdriven guitars from Drew Younger and David Thomson pile upon one another until individual lines dissolve into a luminous haze, while bassist Patrick Malins anchors the swirling mass with remarkable discipline. Drummer James Nolan never chases technical exhibitionism, preferring hypnotic repetition and measured force that allow the songs to swell naturally. Younger and Nolan’s shared vocal presence remains submerged beneath the instrumental surge, transforming the human voice into another atmospheric instrument rather than the central point of focus. Instead of asking listeners to follow lyrics, the song encourages them to absorb mood, texture and emotional suggestion.
“Shoot Me Down” compresses the band’s aesthetic into a leaner framework without sacrificing intensity. The guitars buzz with relentless saturation, yet beneath the apparent chaos lies careful arrangement. Melodic fragments surface only briefly before disappearing beneath cascading feedback, creating an engaging push and pull between accessibility and abstraction. The production, recorded by Dom Mitchison, Paul of Sound, Younger and Nolan before being mixed and mastered by Anthony Chapman with additional mixing from Younger, preserves the physical impact of the performances while allowing every wave of distortion to occupy its own place within the dense sonic field.
If the earlier songs revel in immediacy, “Another Somewhere” stretches the band’s ideas into more expansive territory. Its extended running time gives Velveteen room to explore gradual shifts in dynamics, building hypnotic momentum through subtle changes rather than dramatic contrasts. Thomson’s guitar work becomes especially compelling here, weaving shimmering harmonics through walls of feedback while Malins’ bass introduces understated melodic movement that quietly reshapes the emotional character of the composition. The result is immersive without becoming static, proving the band’s patience is every bit as impressive as its capacity for sonic overload.
“A Fool’s Paradise” offers one of the EP’s most fascinating departures. Sabrina Lefebvre’s guest vocal adds a fresh dimension without disrupting the group’s established identity, introducing a contrasting timbre that drifts elegantly through the surrounding distortion. Anthony Doyle’s percussion enriches the arrangement with carefully placed rhythmic color, broadening the song’s palette beyond the standard guitar-bass-drums configuration. Rather than serving as a stylistic detour, these contributions deepen the emotional resonance of the piece, revealing that Velveteen’s commitment to density does not prevent them from recognizing the expressive value of subtle contrast.
The heart of the record may well be “Unanswered.” Its slow-burning structure carries a quiet melancholy that lingers beneath the overwhelming volume, suggesting unresolved questions rather than providing easy catharsis. Younger and Thomson construct towering layers of guitar that shimmer and collapse in equal measure, while Nolan’s restrained drumming demonstrates that power often derives from careful control rather than constant aggression. The song reflects the band’s growing maturity, balancing raw instinct with thoughtful composition.
The closing “Untitled 103” refuses the conventional role of a finale. Doyle’s additional percussion introduces fresh rhythmic textures that expand the band’s already broad sonic vocabulary, while the arrangement gradually dissolves into an almost dreamlike state where feedback becomes strangely luminous rather than abrasive. The closing moments refuse easy resolution, leaving lingering echoes instead of definitive conclusions. That ambiguity becomes one of the record’s greatest strengths, reflecting the uncertain emotional terrain suggested by the EP’s title.
Throughout ‘My Dreams Are Changing’, Velveteen display an impressive understanding of how classic 1990s influences can be honored without descending into imitation. Their affection for the era’s towering guitar sound is unmistakable, yet they avoid nostalgia by allowing personality to emerge through collective chemistry rather than stylistic reference points. Every member contributes meaningfully: Drew Younger provides a compelling creative center through his guitar work and vocals; David Thomson complements him with richly layered guitar textures; Patrick Malins supplies melodic stability beneath the sonic avalanche; James Nolan combines disciplined percussion with understated vocal contributions; while Sabrina Lefebvre and Anthony Doyle make guest appearances that expand the record’s expressive possibilities rather than merely decorating it.
Anthony Chapman’s mix deserves mention for preserving astonishing depth inside arrangements that deliberately embrace overwhelming saturation. Lesser productions might reduce these songs to an indistinct blur, but here every layer of noise possesses shape and purpose. The feedback is never random, the distortion never careless. Even during the EP’s loudest passages, careful listening reveals intricate interactions between melody, rhythm and texture. At only six tracks, ‘My Dreams Are Changing’ demonstrates remarkable artistic economy. Every composition contributes something distinctive while reinforcing a unified aesthetic vision. Velveteen have not simply returned from hiatus with another collection of songs; they have refined their identity into something more expansive, emotionally nuanced and sonically adventurous. This is a record that embraces ambiguity over certainty, atmosphere over exposition and emotional suggestion over direct statement, inviting listeners into an enveloping world where beauty emerges from overwhelming noise with remarkable conviction.
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