Terrestrial Animal’s Artist Page is HERE
My musical taste varies greatly, and some of the tracks that speak to me the most are instrumentals, especially the music of Terrestrial Animal. In April, Terrestrial Animal released a new album entitled Beneath the Ocean of Names: Where a Mind Once Held the Sky. It is filled with songs that tell powerful stories without the need for words. Much of the album explores the act of remembering those who have passed away and the emotions that accompany those memories. “Dreamless, I Spoke” is one of my favorite tracks because of the deeply personal story it seems to tell.
The song begins with a slow introduction of soft, low-key acoustic notes accompanied by a subtle drum beat. It feels as though you are either just awakening from a deep sleep or slowly drifting off to sleep. It is a solemn, reflective moment—almost like daydreaming.
The main instrumental theme introduces a different feeling. Suddenly, you realize you have some unfinished business to take care of, and it is going to take some time before you get there. As you make your way, your thoughts begin to wander, rehearsing what you are going to say. Still groggy from just waking up, your mind is not yet working at full capacity.
Then you hear the sound of brakes squealing, followed by the crash—glass shattering everywhere. The aftermath of the accident lies before you, yet it feels as though nothing has happened. You’re still trapped in your dreamlike state of thought. Then you snap back to reality, realizing what has just happened. What was I doing again? You remember that you still have something you need to figure out. The thoughts begin piling in once more. You’re still daydreaming, your mind weighed down by everything pressing on it. Then, all of a sudden, the entire instrumentation surges in tempo and volume. Something has come to mind—a revelation of sorts. You’ve remembered something crucial that must be said when the time comes.
The song returns to the same guitar chords as you continue your journey through your own mind. You’re back in your deep thoughts, drifting into an almost dreamlike state once again. As you turn everything over in your head, you continue to contemplate what you’re going to say and how you’re going to handle the situation. Perhaps you’re on your way to see someone close to you—a wife, a brother, or a best friend. By the time you arrive, you’ll have thought everything through and know exactly how to approach it. Thoughts and memories continue to flow through your mind.
Finally, in the last minute of the song, the time has come to confront the unfinished business. You approach the person—or perhaps the issue—that has been weighing on you and express the thoughts you’ve been contemplating for so long. The music becomes more upbeat, and it feels as though the pivotal moment you’ve been waiting for unfolds exactly as you had hoped. A sense of happiness and peace settles in as the song comes to an end. The journey is complete, and you realize that, in the end, all that reflection has paid off.
“Dreamless, I Spoke” is one of those songs that I feel tells the story of a journey that ends on a positive note after a long period of reflection. There is a sense of heaviness throughout most of the piece, but by the end, a resolution emerges and the weight is lifted. Whether this is truly what the song reflects is entirely up to the listener. Either way, it is a remarkable piece of progressive rock that demonstrates music does not always need lyrics to tell a compelling story.
This review was submitted by fellow NAS artist: Creative Disaster (Gpet Productions)
Their artist page can be found HERE
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