gglum – ‘The Garden Dream’ album review: an expansive travelogue of the psyche
THE SKINNY: Some might say it’s impossible to do it all on one album, but those people clearly haven’t heard the debut record from gglum. Within one release, and her first at that, Ella Smoker’s project explores the entire indie-pop terrain, seemingly finding every interesting nook and cranny. Tying it all together with perfected production and a thematic path of breadcrumbs, The Garden Dream is an expansive and endlessly promising travelogue.
Like so many, it’s a record born out of hardship. Smoker’s debut dives deep into the psyche and grapples with her fear of it. Emerging from a period of intense sleep struggles as vivid and distressing nightmares took hold, the record’s dreamlike quality walks a delicate tightrope between scary spirals and a hunt for comfort. Shown in her weaving between more acoustic, folkier elements into glitchier, darker electro elements, it’s like she turned her brain neurons into instruments to soundtrack it all.
Showcasing the record’s incredible production, the track seamlessly transitions into ‘Pruning 1’, an atmospheric electro interlude. There’s something genuinely unsettling in it as Smoker’s distorted vocals whisper through your headphones. It feels heavy with suspense, like it could soundtrack a horror film distinctly about the fear of falling asleep. As it spirals further and further, the musician certainly seems to have found a way to translate her nightmares into audio.
But then the morning light seems to float in. ‘Pruning 2’ is the antithesis of the prior song, sounding more like a sweet dream than anything dark. Instead, it feels like a mission for comfort, like the listener is offered their childhood teddy to grip and a soft blanket to be safe under. Both tracks are expertly made and balance adventurous elements without being too much or overblown. They both offer two very different sides to gglum that exist in perfect tandem, coming together to make her a vibrant and interesting one to watch and this album an incredibly bold and broad introduction.
Across the entire album, elements of pop, indie, R&B, grunge, shoegaze and electro all come into play. gglum refuses to stick to any one sound or strict school of thought, but her audio exploration is always tied back together neatly. Even as her style seems to become vaster with each track, The Garden Dream manages to feel cohesive with a through-path of Smoker’s beautiful vocals and her dream-like lyricism. Her interest in our inner workings comes in and out with enough interest to keep the album focused and directed. Around that, her wandering sound is allowed to feel purely exciting, never exhaustive.
At only 21 years old and with this being her first LP, gglum’s abilities feel mindblowing. This record isn’t just a look into her dreamspace but is a look into the future in which she no doubt has a powerful career in front of her with plenty of potential to unlock.
For fans of: Researching what your dream means and hating what you find.
A concluding comment from the musical ethics committee: “It is unquestionable that musically purging your own sleep deprivation only to induce such horrors on others is a malicious act of meanness.”
The Garden Dream track-by-track
Release Date: March 29th | Producer: Karma Kid | Label: Secretly Canadian
‘With You’: gglum kicks off her eclectic debut by gathering all the influences in one place. As the acoustic guitar opening bursts to full life, with high-production details and Smoker’s vocals sitting pretty on it all, the introductory remarks are strong and gripping. [4/5]
‘SPLAT!’: Keeping the energy high, this next track is a hi-octane indie rager. If your attention wasn’t already peaked, Gglum now grabs it with both hands and runs with it. [4/5]
‘Late’: From start to finish, the record traces the depth and breadth of gglum’s talents. Quickly into the record, ‘Late’ offers something softer and more introspective with interesting electro details. Never letting you get lazy as a listener or resting on her laurels as an artist, the track then breaks apart into a big, cinematic climax as she switches it up again. [4/5]
‘Pruning 1’: The transition between ‘Late’ and this glitchy interlude is so seamless. Throughout the record, but especially on this piece, the production on this debut is impeccable, ensuring that even her more adventurous moments are carried off with a perfected polish. [3/5]
‘Pruning 2’: As the record is inspired by a time Smoker was plagued by nightmares, these two interludes seem to symbolise the strange and twisted places a mind can go. While the first is unsettling and spiralling, this second track feels like her hunt for comfort. [3.5/5]
‘Easy Fun’: The pace is picked back up in this rolling electro number. Reminiscent of recent work by Kim Gordon or Devon Ross, gglum leans into glitchy grunge to real success. [3.5/5]
‘Glue’: Anthemic feels like the only word. Or maybe cinematic or soaring. ‘Glue’ is a real high point in the record as a track that seems to demand big stages. [4/5]
‘Second Best’: gglum really does traverse all corners of indie and pop, including all the little side genres that are integrated. On this song, alternative meets even a hip-hop or R&B element, like Biig Piig meets Wolf Alice. [3.5/5]
‘He Laid His 97’s Neatly By The Door’: With a poetic title and content to match, this piece leans further into the cinematic nature she regularly reaches out. It feels custom-made for a coming-of-age soundtrack, built to play in the background of hazy dream montages of crushes and heartaches. [4/5]
‘Honeybee’: Just when the album might have started feeling all high-production tracks, ‘Honeybee’ strips it back. A sweet little addition that helps expand her repertoire even further, Smoker’s vocals sound perfect on this ditty. [3.5/5]
‘Do You See Me Different’: Intimate yet atmospheric, gglum teams up with Kamal for this more folk-leaning track. Offering something softer and calmer, it’s a beautiful accompaniment to wistful thinking. [3/5]
‘Eating Rust’: Combining her softer side with her grittier one, ‘Eating Rust’ brings strings from the album together with a nice bow. The relentless drum beat and interesting instrumental textures make this relatively simple song a great one. [3/5]
‘The Garden Dream’: To see the record out, gglum hits directly at the heart of the album. Integrating her interest in, or fear of, dreams and the inner psyche with more universal feelings of love and desire, this dreamy finale is a perfect end to an incredibly promising debut. [4/5]
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