We’ve always been huge fans of Australian-born UK resident MF Tomlinson and it is exciting to see he will be releasing a new album entitled ‘Die To Wake Up From a Dream’ on 11 July via PRAH Recordings. To give a hint of what treasures lie within the record, the title track has just been released and it’s another cinematic delight.
A rich and vibrant opening to the nine minute epistle introduces crystalline guitars with a hint of harmonics and feedback over a steady pulse. The introduction is long – building up like a storm with a majestic swirl of instruments that glitter and sparkle in the firmament – an enigmatic, elegiac beginning. Tomlinson’s deep sonorous vocals enter after two minutes – a dreamy, soaring emotive delivery filled with a rolling melody. Tomlinson says of the track:
It speaks to the sensation of drowning in the years. Scenes flash by so fast we soon know that we are in a dream, then a nightmare.
When you die in a dream you are safe. When you die in a dream you dream another dream. This is the deus ex machina for us all to remember – that for most, when things seem darker than ever, happiness still exists beyond the tiny parameters that we have set for it. In realising your own power you set yourself free – not one day, but right now. This song is a treatise on resilience, hope and the frankly wildly psychedelic experience of being alive.
The lyrics are poetic and moving – the escape from a languid overpowering dream to regain consciousness, contrasted with reality itself:
You die in a dream to save your life,
Die when you feel the knife to your throat –
Wake up safely in your own bed
All the demons running through your head,
In a minute there’ll be nothing left.
And yet there a faint hope of resilience and survival through the vicissitudes of life as Tomlinson ends singing it just gets better and better with a dark sense of self-deprecating humour.
And it gets better
It just better and better,
It just gets better and better
Rounding the corner I see…
You alone out on the headland
Across the rocks to meet an old friend
The sky begins to turn a deep red
The sound of laughter fills the dark
The instrumentation is layered and luscious: painting a vivid sonic landscape with a multitude of instruments – trumpets, horns ringing out in the ether – and an euphoric tumultuous ending, orchestral and bold. It’s a bit like a Burt Bacharach soundtrack track with a Jimmy Webb melody and Nick Cave vocals with the majestic sweep of Tindersticks or Sigur Ros.
The accompanying visual essay by Andrea Zvadova is enigmatic and beautifully shot:
The single is out now and available to download and stream here.
MF Tomlinson’s new album ‘Die To Wake Up From A Dream’ is out 11th July on PRAH Recordings. New single ‘Die To Wake Up From A Dream’ is out now. You can pre-order the album here and through the link below.
MF Tomlinson supports Melin Melyn on tour this month.
MF Tomlinson live dates:
25 March – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds (supporting Melin Melyn)
26 March – Brighton, DUST (supporting Melin Melyn)
27 March – London, The Dome (supporting Melin Melyn)
28 March – Cardiff, Tramshed (supporting Melin Melyn)
London-based, Brisbane/Meanjin-born singer-songwriter MF Tomlinson made his debut with the release of his ‘Last Days Of Rome’ EP in 2020 and has since released two critically acclaimed full length albums, 2021’s ‘Strange Time’ and its follow up and sister album ‘We Are Still Wild Horses’ in 2023 via PRAH Recordings.
Merging together ambient, experimental jazz, acid-folk and indie folk to otherworldly new territory, ‘We Are Still Wild Horses’ received universal widespread acclaim upon its release from The Times, Mojo, Uncut, The Line Of Best Fit, Record Collector, Music OMH, The Arts Desk, Beats Per Minute, Gigwise, amongst many others.
Tomlinson’s work has seen him traverse the globe, performing at festivals from Finland to Australia, and at the widely adored End of the Road Festival, not to mention support UK/EU tours with American heavyweights Geese and TORRES, alongside coveted support dates with Dry Cleaning, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, DeVotchKa, James Yorkston and Nina Persson – to name but a few.
Feature Photograph: Andrea Zvadova
