Living Dream

***"Living Dream arrived on the scene just when we needed them, diversifying the contemporary DIY underground with ripping, kaleidoscopic guitar pop. With Absolute Devotion comes a step up in production and an articulated vision for the band on display, leaning into a triumphant darkness teased in their understated 2023 self-titled tape. Living Dream share a timeless combination of intertwined guitar melodies, low end pulse, hypnotic tambourine and a dignified dual vocal style.

Absolute Devotion sounds like a fully realized effort all their own, drawing from David Roback's paisley underground standouts but here emphasizing a celebration of treble and use of tape sound, reverb, field recordings and wordless vocals. What makes this release even cooler is that it is an unlikely but inherently midwestern endeavor, born out of what must be a tight-knit Indianapolis scene. A dive into Kayla Pappas and Stephen Orban's musical projects reveals a mysteriously prolific, genre-expansive and inspired world (Mudslut, Elk Manakin). These folks absolutely geek over music and it shows."—Allison Error (Dial Error)