Here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today, we’ve been listening to O’Dream from Secaucus (US) artist, Clay Joule. O’DREAM was released on February 24th, 2022.
O’Dream is an anthemic rock song which feels like a Lynyrd Skynyrd track at the start, with some lovely country rock style guitars and a full band sound. As the song progresses, there are constant changes in the rhythms and drumming patterns while the vocal line remains the same, giving the song plenty of rise and fall.
A guitar solo, provided by Ukrainian; Alex Gusinsky, is a particular highlight of the track and the use of different sections keeps the listener on their toes and gives a slight sense of unease. The drums sound recorded without the use of close mics, giving them a lovely distant feel that blends into the background of the song, making the bass the dominant rhythm instrument in the track.
Throughout the song, (watch the video) you can hear plenty of soundscapes which dominate the mix when they come in: protestors for example.
On a song like this, it is not the writing, the performance or the production that is important. Whilst this is what we’d usually write about, it’s the message of O’Dream that is important and everything else about the song takes a back seat.
Clay wrote O’Dream at his farmhouse studio on the final weekend of February 2022. O’Dream delivered a secret message regarding Ukraine’s fate, both during the conflict and thereafter, which is becoming clearer now that the war has been ongoing for a year.
Alex Gusinsky, the Ukrainian guitarist for O’Dream, was invited by Joule to compose the guitar part for the track while his homeland in Ukraine.
At the time, his home was under siege and his apartment building was heavily demolished. While Russian forces
dropped bombs on the neighboring streets, Alex stood firm and continued his guitar take.
Alex exhibited no fear and finished the recording while remaining calm until they were forced to
evacuate from their apartment building, which was at risk of collapse.
O’Dream is a call-to-action song for peace and justice. It looks for unity and for the west’s continued and increased support for Ukraine. The video accompanying the song is chilling and emotive to watch, sharing scenes from before and during the conflict and is a strong reminder to us all to remain in firm support of Ukraine.
Clay Joule’s, O’Dream, is a strong and stark reminder that music is the thing that binds us and rouses us into action in the darkest moments in life.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AVjE09t12xYm52CdkFQ5E
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJymz2oQp07MDpZQOdwLmig