''Arms of a Dream'' is the second album by Canadian indie folk band,
Reuben and the Dark
Reuben and the Dark are a Canadian indie folk band from Calgary, Alberta. Led by singer and songwriter Reuben Bullock,Funeral Sky''), which Reuben Bullock, the band's singer and guitarist, attributed to over-complicating the recording process.
The album title is borrowed from a poem that singer/guitarist Reuben Bullock had written previous to the recording of the album.
Production
''Arms of a Dream'' is Reuben and The Dark's second full band album, but the fourth they recorded as an ensemble. Reuben Bullock admitted to having problems assembling songs for the album in a typical
Sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort.
It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students ...
. Between 50 and 60 songs were tried and rehearsed, but in the end only 11 tracks made it onto the album. The album was recorded over four years, with Reuben Bullock stating that the album was connected by themes of "sleep and waking states. Love. Loss. Lessons and premonitions."
Critical reception
Ghettoblaster magazine said that "Arms of a Dream finds Reuben and the Dark working outside its comfort zone, both musically and lyrically. The result is Bullock’s most vivid and transformative music to date: an intimate exploration of the inversion of imagination and reality in dreams." The Calgary Herald said that "It’s not hard to envision the songs on Arms of a Dream filling a stadium."