This Is Our Jam: Young Dreams, “Young Dreams”

The Norwegian band Young Dreams refers to themselves as a collective, which makes sense, considering they have a whopping twelve members in their line-up (give or take). Yet, as big as the band is, Young Dreams still sounds more like a small group with a distinct vision than a cacophony of competing voices. Chief creative force Matias Tellez arranges their eponymous debut with soft textures, plucked guitars, soaring harmonies, and psychedelic loops. “Young Dreams” occasionally sounds like Fleet Foxes might, if their music were put through chillwave delay pedals, but really, the ideas are so plentiful (e.g. the tribal-sounding coda) and the sounds shift so rapidly, that it’s hard to saddle the band with one particular comparison. As big as the band sounds, “Young Dreams” has a distinctly intimate feel — it’s could be the sound of bombast meeting the bedroom or Animal Collective meeting the Alps, but mostly, it’s just a fun ride.