The story of NYC’s The Dream Eaters is an example of how muses can overthrow one’s will: vocalist Jake Zavracky had given up on the business of creating and performing music altogether when he met his soon-to-be partner in crime, Elizabeth LeBaron, at a bartending gig in Brooklyn. After some initial collaboration, LeBaron and Zavracky began to make music under the rather unimaginative moniker “Jake and Elizabeth,” which was wisely changed to the current denomination just in time for the release of their (charmingly understated) 2016 self-produced debut EP, "Five Little Pills."
The duo’s upcoming debut full length "We Are a Curse" is a work that marks both the creative peak and new beginning of the duo’s artistry, drawing upon experiences of the past while remaining entirely relevant to the day. Their single, “Neanderthals” (premiering below), though written by Zavracky during the Bush/Cheney administration, serves as an effective and artful jab at the current one. Its overtly angry political chorus, however, “They won’t make us crawl / They’re all Neanderthals” is undercut by a sincerer account of the helpless emotional state that toxic politics can leave us feeling trapped in: “Take your medication / Practice condemnation / Stay inside your houses now”. Two themes compete to govern the track: one of dejected submission to power and one of defiance. Drawing on the sonic influences of stock dream poppers like Beach House and The Antlers, the band adopts melancholic vocal lines to load their lyrics with an added emotional charge. Though the song’s sonic architecture is designed to shoot us into space, the lyrics bring us down to earth, mentally instilling a sense of duality, a contrast and elasticity that feels refreshing. It’s hard not to want to be a part of this band’s emergence. You can pre-order their debut album, slated for release on April, 14th or attend their upcoming shows at Halyards (4/8) or Rockwood Music Hall (5/10). – Andrew Strader