When listening to “Only in My Dreams<,” I ask you to imagine Ariel Pink performing this song with a headset microphone, which he does. Ariel has been a home-recording wizard for years, rethinking how pop music is made. Alone did he brew cauldrons of experimental sounds, sometimes making drum beats with his mouth. These concoctions were scary and colorful; the recording equipment was very old. However, there were issues performing such craziness live so he assembled a band, Haunted Graffiti. Without losing any of the experimental weirdness, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti sounds more psychical and full than his solo work. Also, when music is created live by several people it normally makes for a better concert experience and can be taken on tour.
“Only in My Dreams” opens with a charming folk-rock jangle that one assumes has been in way too many other songs already. Do not worry as there is more to this song. It seemingly layers each year of pop music from 1960 to today on top of each other, then makes each layer transparent enough for one to see through all of the years at once. The music reminds one of flowers covered in glitter but the song speaks of most pathetic loneliness: “If at first you don’t succeed at love, just dream a little dream about a girl so real.” The chorus soothes with creamy “oohs and aahs” behind Ariel’s soulful croons worthy of the finest boy band. “And I if I could see / in the world there’s no other one / lucky enough / you don’t have to explain it,” Pink calls back and forth to himself. Again, keep picturing the headset microphone.
There is constant doubt that Ariel is goofing off and being sarcastic. He is great at blurring that line. Along with most of Ariel Pink’s music, “Only in My Dreams” makes me laugh. Sometimes it is hard to tell whether I laugh at or with, but either way there is a real smile on my face. Music that makes one both genuinely laugh and dance is sacred.