New Music – Big Dreams & Bent Schemes

Big Dreams & Bent Schemes is the breakout EP from Couvo, this up and coming artist try’s his hand with a 9-track cruise of an album that is both moving and energetic.

The opening track, “Saturday Night” fires off with some blaring guitar and a radio style voice that fazes in-between a clear and static style. The vocal change was interesting, bringing a new level of depth to something that other artists would simply overlook. The backing instrumentation becomes cheery, but slowly fades into an interlude that slows the album down.

“Dreamed Out” sounds more symphonic in the way it uses different horns and hordes of people to create this great amount of claustrophobia. Following is the track “Sunday Morning,” which has this simple boom bap drum beat that eventually bursts into a chorus of hi-hat rattles and guitar off-beats eventually fade in. The chorus adds a slight comparison from what sounds like acoustic percussion, to the now modern style of electronic pop.

Big Dreams & Bent Schemes then moves forward into “Wasting Time” which is an overly delighful style track with an organ giving a background groove and the guitar strumming along. Lyrics like “I don’t really know about tomorrow” gives off this easy and care-free feeling, and “Wasting Time” is a well produced track, but just seems to be leaning a little too close to the radio friendly style for me. The singing and the way the instruments are used sounds closer to a song that would be played on college radio or at a festival in the park.

Couvo goes for a more acoustic approach with “When I Grow Up Again.” This track was the most original sounding, not adapting a radio style, or an overly-cheery style. The bass work is also filling and adds some serious depth, then as the rest of the instruments begin to kick in, the track feels outstanding. If Couvo had this same level of depth and feel to each track, I would have no problem recommending this to everyone.

Couvo then changes up the style of the album completely, “All I Need” adopts an almost R&B style. It follows soft-spoken vocals and an even softer guitar that almost silently lets off a few strums and solos throughout the track. Following is “Where Are We Going” which again uses some more acoustic guitars that create a nice, slick, groove. I personally thought this was one of the stronger tracks on the album.

Couvo’s Big Dreams & Bent Schemes is quite the dynamic project. At certain points it is a new age rock album that has this blast of guitar, drums, and shouting vocals with immense levels of power. Then at other points it becomes this slowed down, almost electronic style that uses different levels of instruments and plug-ins. Big Dreams & Bent Schemes is ultimately a story that has been heard before, but Couvo twists it to become his own and hopefully has more in the future.