''Floating on a Dream'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American singer-songwriter

Avi Kaplan Avriel Benjamin Kaplan (born April 17, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his basso profondo range and for his tenure as the vocal bass of the a cappella group Pentatonix from 2011 to 2017. As a part of the group, he relea ...

, released on May 20, 2022, through

Fantasy Records Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its inves ...

. It is Kaplan's first studio album since his departure from the a cappella group

Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, currently consisting of vocalists Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements ...

in 2017. The album is entirely produced by

Shooter Jennings Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is the only son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning over two decades, Shooter Jenni ...

, and features a guest appearance from Joy Williams.

Background

On May 12, 2017,

announced that he would be leaving the a cappella group

after six years. In a video announcing his departure, Kaplan stated that although he enjoyed being in the group, he found it difficult to keep up with their schedule, which required him to spend less time with his family. His final show with the group was held at the Champlain Valley Fair in

Essex Junction, Vermont Essex Junction is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 10,590. It was incorporated as a village on November 15, 1892. Essex Junction became Vermont’s 10th city on July 1, 2022. Am ...

, on September 3. Before his announcement, Kaplan began releasing music as an

independent artist Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...

under the name Avriel & the Sequoias. His debut solo project ''Sage and Stone'' was released on June 9, 2017. After leaving Pentatonix, Kaplan parted ways with their label

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

and continued to release solo music. On November 5, 2019, he announced his second solo project ''I'll Get By'', which was scheduled to be released on January 24, 2020. Its release was delayed to February 28 due to Kaplan signing with

. On November 15, 2021, Kaplan released the album's lead single "First Place I Go". He formally announced his debut studio album and released its second single, "All Is Well" featuring singer Joy Williams, on February 15, 2022.

Critical reception

In a positive review, Mark Engleson of ''Entertainment Focus'' praised Kaplan's "incredible voice; it’s going to stand out on any project he does. His songwriting and the production here serve to bring out its deep emotional power, making a for highly listenable and enjoyable album."

Track listing

All tracks are produced by

Personnel

Credits adapted from

. Musicians *

– vocals, guitar * Aubrey Richmond – violin * Chris Masterson – guitars * Daniel Ellsworth – piano, organ, synthesizer * Jamie Douglass – drums, percussion * John Schreffler, Jr. – pedal steel * Joy Williams – featured vocals * Kaleb Jones – guitar * Smith Curry – pedal steel *

Ted Russell Kamp Ted Russell Kamp is an American singer-songwriter. He is the bassist for Shooter Jennings' backing band. As a solo artist, Kamp has released 11 albums. Biography Born in New York, Kamp grew up in the Northeast U.S. before moving to Seattle where ...

– bass Technical *

– production * David Spreng – recording, engineering * Trina Shoemaker – mixing * Pete Lyman – mastering

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Floating on a Dream 2022 debut albums Albums produced by Shooter Jennings Fantasy Records albums Americana albums