With the album all but decimated by iTunes’ a la carte selection (and the subsequent return to a singles model) and the fast-disintegrating attention spans of music listeners, the incentive and inspiration to craft something cohesive has waned, now largely a domain of the special and the delusional. In the years following the advent of Apple’s juggernaut music store and the proliferation of tools that enable non-linear listening, external factors hamper the already difficult task of executing a work that doesn’t feel scattered and piecemeal.
Though still developing the voice to tell his story, New Orleans rapper Pell seems to have the skill and vision to craft a unified work if new project Floating While Dreaming is any indicator. Building charming slice of life songs (as Pell says, “The album is for the people out there chasing their dreams and aspirations that remain unconquered”) atop an excellent palette of production from Tomas Barfod and Childish Gambino and Haim collaborator Ludwig Goransson, Pell creates consistent mood across a succinct, well-sequenced 12 tracks (a reminder that less can be so much more). Warm and personal, Floating While Dreaming pulls from eclectic sources, cohering into an enjoyable snapshot of a young man trying to make sense of his aspirations.
Listen to Floating While Dreaming below and download for free here (or buy it for $2.99 when it comes out on iTunes on 5/27).
