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Misha Seeff Dreamhaven Review by Gary Hill Misha Seeff may have been a teenager when he wrote and recorded this music, but his experiences lend a more mature feeling to it. He's lived in three different countries, the US, Canada and South Africa, which is more than most adults. The lyrics really seem like they were written by someone older, but his voice does have the sound of youth. My only complaint about this is that there is a tendency for it to feel a little too samey at times. Sometimes less is more, and I think had a few songs been pulled from this it would have been a stronger set. Then again, a lot of people listen to just a song or two at a time, so it wouldn't be an issue for those folks. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023 Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.

Track by Track Review

Now The vocals come in over the top of finger-popping as the song and album get underway. This is a bouncy, pop rocker that is somewhat stripped back at first, with just a guitar concept as the backdrop. The arrangement fills out for the chorus. When it drops back for the verse, it's more filled in that it was before. This is such a fun song, making for a great opener.

April Haze This is a little less interesting, but it's no less effective. This is more of a standard pop rock tune.

Come and Go I dig the energy and hooks on this. There are some guitar fills that feel almost Beatles-like to me. This is a solid tune that works well.

You and I This is entertaining and solid, but it's really not all that different from the tunes we've heard before. I do like the piano and vocal part of the tune, though.

Tonight I dig the funk on this piece. There is some great channel separation on the song, too. This is one of my favorites here. It has a great flow and some cool melodies.

Your Eyes An evocative ballad, this is another tune that brings variety.

Lamplight I like the bouncy pop rock groove on this tune. This gets a more powered up arrangement that really shines at times. There are some hints of reggae here along with some funk.

Dreamhaven Piano has a prominent presence on this song. The number is another solid slab of pop rock. In this instance it's presented as a power ballad. I'd consider this more of an also-ran that a highlight, though.

Used to Be The formula is wearing a bit thin by this point. Taken by itself this song is solid. It's just when you play the album through that it seems a bit samey. It's enough to keep it from really standing out.

Boardwalk I like the vocals on this a lot. Beyond that this is a bit too much like all the rest around it. Still, that vocal aspect is enough to elevate this.

Sun Is Shining Now, a bit of a reggae vibe helps this tune to stand taller than a lot of the rest.

Apart The energy and hooks on this elevate it beyond the masses.

Dream The keyboards lend some intriguing textures to this. Beyond that it's more like the rest of the music of the disc.

Valentine's Day I like the mood of this song. The cut has a great balance between mellower and more powered up stuff. This is actually one of the strongest tunes on the disc to me.

Look Around The closer is intricate and intimate. It manages to stand a little bit above the sometimes monolithic bulk of the set. The piano part at the end serves as a great grounding point for the ending of the disc.

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