Comprised of Joakim Åhlund, Nino Keller, Frans Johansson and Martin Ehrencrona, the Stockholm, Sweden-based shoegaze quartet Les Big Byrd may arguably one of the more accomplished contemporary indie acts in their native Sweden as members of the band have been in internationally renowned acts Teddybears, Caesars, The Slaves and Fireside. Each of these acts had either went through massive lineup changes or broke up as a result of drugs, infighting, bad management, the lack of management altogether and overall burn out. 

When Åhlund and Johansson met up again, they recognized that after several embittering experiences, they still had a powerful desire to create music. And they recruited Åhlund’s former bandmate, Keller and Ehrencrona to complete the lineup. Their debut effort, They Worshipped Cats which was produced by Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe was largely considered one of the top debuts in their native Sweden and by shoegaze fans across the world. 

The Swedish quartet will follow the release of their debut effort with two EPs  – Stockholm Death Stare and Liquid Sky. “I Woke Up In A Dream” is an ethereal song consisting of shimmering guitar chords played through gentle washes of distortion and reverb, swirling feedback and effects, twinkling keyboards, gently undulating bass and a gauzy melody. The song evokes the sort of dream where you might be simultaneously floating and free-falling towards a gently rolling field. But just underneath the surface is a wistful melancholy that reminds me of The Verve.