Travis Pohler - Dreaming In So Many Colors

​Travis Pohler

Dreaming In So Many Colors
self-released; 2016

3.7 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Travis Pohler is an artist from San Antonio, Texas who released Dreaming In So Many Colors. It’s a complete DIY effort that showcases a unique sound which I felt fit into the baroque pop category. There were times that I was reminded of the band Grizzly Bear in terms of the structure and aesthetics.

The production and recording quality veers towards lo-fi and the one area I think Pohler should devote more time to if he is going to self-produce in the future. The separation of elements wasn’t too shabby but there were songs that I thought could have been taken to another level with better production.

Pohler has a distinct, very attractive singing style. He sounds good at multiple octaves and has an impressive octave range. The other notable aspect was the guitar playing. I enjoyed the various guitar parts which displayed his picking skills. 

He opens with “The Sleep Talker” which is under two-minutes long but didn’t really feel like an introduction. In fact It was one of my favorite tracks. It drips with melancholy; I thought the horns were great and I found myself humming along with the vocal melody. 

The drum mix was pretty balanced on the album. That being said the kick drum was almost comically loud on “Deja Vu.”  All things considered “Deja Vu” is a good song and one that reminded me most of Grizzly Bear. As the album progressed I thought the songs were very well written and enjoyable. “Untied!” comes close to sounding like standard singer/songwriter material but Pohler puts just enough spin on it to give it a jazzy/indie vibe.

“In My Head” is arguably the highlight of the album. It’s a great song with sounds more celebratory and accepting than some of the other tracks. His delivery of the lines “It’s all in my head” feels poignant and hopeful. The more subdued and dreamy “Ode To The Moon” also works quite well while “Maybe In The Morning” is a melancholy and reflective closer.

The more time I spent with this album the more I enjoyed it. I foresee good things to come for Pohler in the music world. Recommended.

soundcloud

Tweet