By Deuce

Stevie Cornell’s newest album, Some Sweet Dream, is a throwback effort amidst the post-modern, post-millennium material deluging listeners almost anywhere they turn today. The entire aesthetic, and appeal, of this LP is based on its embrace of stylistic elements that are timeless—as opposed to transitory.

For instance, Cornell has a wondrous propensity for harmonizing with himself in a manner that is directly reminiscent of the 60’s. On “Better as a Memory” this tight coupling of his falsetto with his natural voice endows the tune with a levity that’s at once fun and substantive. With the surplus of acoustic guitar dripping throughout the track, one can envision sitting around the campfire singing this number, with marshmallows roasting in the backdrop.

The artist reprises this form of doing vocals on the titular track as well, which showcases his considerable accomplishments on the guitar. The tune starts off with pair of acoustic guitar tracks, one of which is spiraling and somersaulting melodies and rhythms that are all but entrancing. The ballad gains ground during the hook, in which it’s fleshed out with drums and bass. Still, it’s most poignant moments occur during the verses with the acoustic guitars twirling and Cornell’s harmonious vocals creating an enormity of sound that isn’t found on the other cuts.

At other times, his stylistic renderings are as simple as they are effective. “Last Time I Count on You” is remarkable for the unvarnished bass line, which provides the foundation for the majority of the track in which Cornell sings over just it and the live drums. The starkness of this maneuver is apparent—the bass line is catchy—and highlights his vocals in which he plays a bit of the raconteur. Granted, there are junctures where an acoustic rhythm guitar joins the party, or even when the surge of an electric one ups the ante. But the straightforward manner in which he pulls off this tune is only enhanced, not overtaken, by these renderings.

The same can be said of the album as a whole.