CD Review: Ruled by Dreams by Andrew Montgomery

Ruled by Dreams

by Andrew Montgomery

Out Now

by Michael Upton

REMEMBER Mika, the frizzy-haired, shrill-voiced irritation who enjoyed mercifully-brief success in the mid-2000s with the grating Grace Kelly?

He popped into my mind on first listen to Andrew Montgomery’s debut album Ruled by Dreams.

Thankfully, that vision was short-lived as Montgomery is more fairly comparable to 80s falsetto master Jimmy Somerville.

The former Geneva frontman has been a long time in putting out his first solo CD, the indie band having enjoyed their brief flirtation almost 20 years ago.

So has it been worth the wait?

Yes and no.

When Ruled by Dreams flies, it truly soars.

Joyful samba La Graciosa is as infectious and enjoyable as any pop song deserves to be, while Sorry Someday brings unexpected uplift to a familiar story of break-up, its catchy refrain living long in the memory.

The title track is also worth checking out, its swooping melody neatly backing up a smoothly seductive chorus.

The rest of the album, however, is rather more forgettable.

Too many tracks slip into piano-bar convention and are sadly little more than background music standard.

There is promise here, but too much filler to truly stir the soul.

An album of La Graciosas, though, would be quite the party soundtrack.