Dear listeners and readers of Soundville,
Today I want to share with you a staggering album ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ by the Calgary-based solo project Post Death Soundtrack by Stephen Moore. Thirty tracks that seem to contain an entire era of Moore his endless inspiration, his deeply open view of the world, and his desire to speak about things that usually remain unspoken. Moore’s path, long, filled with hardship and anxiety, has led to ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’. Fifteen tracks were recorded earlier but reworked over time with new instrumentation and vocals, and another fifteen are completely new songs, presenting a raw, honest look at the world with elements of realism and alt rock. This is an immediate album that grips a person with life itself, in its dirtiest and most candid tones. There is something strangely magnetic about it. You know that feeling when something forbidden draws you in the most? This is it, right here. And the most surprising and captivating thing about the release is how it feels like Stephen Moore’s soul has scattered itself piece by piece across every track. Listening to the album allows you to assemble a real image, a portrait. This makes the album philosophical, unique, something to reflect on or simply enjoy if you’re into great, distinctive rock.
Of course, this release fits within alt rock, with notes of post-punk, gothic, grotesque, and even acoustic. But those are just technical words. In ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’, everything goes much deeper than a genre tag. That is why, after listening, it feels like the album breaks out of any box. It can be appreciated by anyone, whether you’re new to dark rock music or someone who’s already seen it all and is looking for something truly singular within their favorite genre. ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ is Moore’s fifth full-length album, and this is the one that splits his career into before and after. There is more experimentation here, more freedom, more passion, new genres, new meanings. Possibly because Moore, as they say, went all in on music. And the lyrics here are fearless. There are no compromises. This is real life, honest, painful, full of disappointment. And you will feel that from the very first tracks.
‘Tremens’ and ‘Good Time Slow Jam (In All My Nightmares I Am Alone)’ immediately strike with their wild, dark energy and raw honesty. I would even say there is a complete absence of any kind of censorship here, if it makes sense to speak of censorship in art at all. Moore dives right into the theme of mental health, and you will feel it, even if you are just listening to the music without focusing on the lyrics. Something will start stirring deep in your subconscious anyway, something that will gently guide you in the right direction.
It is also worth noting that the album includes several reimaginings of classic tracks, such as ‘Venus in Furs’ and ‘River Man’. These songs sound familiar, but in Moore’s hands, they are filled with a new, deeper meaning. Recorded in a single take, they unfold as entirely new interpretations, showing Moore as a musician who does not just quote the classics but lives through them again, discovering things in them that once slipped away. And that is just incredibly cool! I was completely struck by the track ‘Final Days’ with its vivid, surprisingly fun take on the apocalypse. Quite ironic, you know. There is energy, aggression, but at the same time, ‘Final Days’ feels very cozy, which gives it a real depth. This light dissonance, such a complex topic and such an unexpected sound, makes the track really memorable.
If you enjoy these kinds of incredible, striking songs, do not miss ‘What’s He Building in There?’. Believe me, you will be just as surprised as I was. It is a brilliant grotesque story about a curious neighbor, where only soft noises and a voice telling the story are heard. It is a very interesting, unexpected approach to songwriting, and there is real pleasure to be found in it. I love how tempting the track ‘Song for Bonzai’ sounds with its bright guitars, unique rhythm, and mysterious atmosphere, like a full-blown show is about to unfold, filled with intrigue and wild events. The sound of ‘Song for Bonzai’ makes it easy to imagine your own adventures, because it sounds incredibly cinematic.
I am completely in love with ‘An Anything’, with its dark gothic tone and hypnotic atmosphere that wraps everything around in fog and pulls your thoughts inward. ‘An Anything’ only features a minimalist voice and guitar, but that is more than enough to shut yourself inside the world Moore has created and dissolve into it, into every beat, every word. I like how the track ‘Trigger Finger’ sounds, a real existential breakdown of sound with distant vocals and overloaded, raw guitars. It creates an atmosphere of realism, a black and white gloomy world where light only flashes through occasionally. There is something hypnotic in it, something that gives goosebumps with its strangeness and mystery.
If you think you have already heard everything, no, friends, ‘Nothing’ and ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ are still ahead, closing the album with an incredible show unfolding right in your consciousness. It is a very complicated, unclear transformation. And there is something mystical in ‘Nothing’, it stirs fears and old pain in the subconscious that has not healed yet. Every part of ‘Nothing’ has its own atmosphere, creating a feeling that calls for comfort. And I think that comfort comes with ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’. Yes, it sounds like a nightmare that became reality, but exactly because of that, Moore allows you to live through fear, pain, and come out into life completely renewed. ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ is a truly strong track, where only Moore’s voice breaks into echo and industrial ambient with scraping sounds, and only soft keys, a light synth, hint that even among complete chaos and absolute darkness there is always hope. That is very cool. And I think to reach that effect took an incredible amount of work and inspiration. This is exactly what makes the album so great, so unique, and absolutely worth listening to.
Of course, you will not find any clear release or ending on a bright note here. In ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ Moore goes to the very end, but the ellipsis he leaves sounds different for everyone. And is that not the essence of real, living classics? The kind you can come back to again and again, rethinking, filling with new meaning, while not losing the importance of the author’s thought and the spirit of the original. I was absolutely amazed by ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’, by its wholeness, by the fact that you can listen to this album for years and each time find something new in it. And it is not just the number of tracks, it is how they are perceived, how they sound and respond in different periods of life. Each one can open up in its own way. That makes ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ a truly timeless album with an important message to the world.
It was dark, at times heavy, and incredibly cinematic. Thanks to the heavy sound, electronics, Moore’s hand and voice, one of the messages that comes through is this: no matter how scary it is, life goes on. And exactly because you can see pain, joy becomes real. It was incredibly cool! I recommend adding these tracks to your playlists so you do not lose them, and definitely follow Stephen Moore and listen to his previous albums. I assure you, this is an experience truly worth going through.
Hi Stephen Moore! Thank you for making such amazing music. You know, an album this big and multifaceted is really hard to take in all at once. ‘In All My Nightmares I Am Alone’ needs a few listens, maybe even a few months. And that’s great. That’s exactly what makes music real. Not just some background chewing gum for the radio, where you cannot even tell one artist from another, but something unique, important, real art that you want to protect, dig into, listen to again and again, and discover new layers each time. There is an incredible amount of inspiration, strength, energy, and concept in this release, and I’m just amazed at how it sounds. Keep making this kind of true music, keep experimenting, because it really catchy. I’m definitely going to show this album to everyone, let them all hear this kind of important, sharp, deep music. I love it, and I’m your fan!
With much love,
Soundville
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