Hump Day Hot Ticket: Dream Spectrum “Lost and Found”

Band photo

I admit that in these (now) twice-a-week video reviews, there have been a handful of bands whose music I keep returning to time and time again. Those of you who visit here often probably know already who those bands are, but for those of you who are new here, there are a few bands that have been featured here more than once.

This week, I review once again a video from Buffalo-based progressive instrumental quartet Dream Spectrum, who are making their third appearance here in 8 months. What can I say? The music is good, and their videos are fun to watch, if only to witness the skill and musicianship that they possess. And while I do love progressive rock and metal music, Dream Spectrum is a bit outside of the typical fare that I review here regularly, yet not so far out of left field for it to be a surprise that I would listen to their music.

Up to this point, the Dream Spectrum videos I have reviewed have been of the “performance” type: a standard music video where the band plays in a concert setting or shown rocking out on their instruments. While performance videos are fun to watch, they don't leave much in the way of reviewing. After all, how many times can you describe a band jamming away on their guitars and drums, before it all sounds the same? In that respect, performance videos tend to offer a bit more of a challenge for me to review, because they are basic and straightforward, not leaving much to interpretation.

It is for this reason that I prefer to review “conceptual” videos: music videos that tell a tale, that are more like mini-movies and less like concert footage. I am also partial to conceptual videos for other reasons stated here before, but one of the main reasons I started this feature was to have fun using my imagination trying to interpret the story within, or to find hidden symbolism that would shed light on the subject and offer greater meaning to the overall plot. Or sometimes, it was just fun to compare the band's images of their own work to my personal visions when I listened to the music.

So even though I had reviewed Dream Spectrum twice already since February, when I saw their latest video was conceptual, I just had to review it. There is something about their music that is quirky and lively, bubbling just beneath the musical virtuosity; so I wondered if some of that would transition to their music videos.

The subject matter for the “Lost and Found” video is pretty self-explanatory: the story begins with a girl sitting at a table and looking at her phone. The camera focuses on a beaded bracelet that she wears, which soon becomes the centerpiece of the plot.  She makes brief eye contact with a gentleman sitting across the way from her, then gets up to leave. At that point, the man notices that the bracelet has been left behind. As we never see her take it off or come loose from her wrist, it is not exactly clear whether she carelessly forgot the bracelet, or purposely left it there for the man to find; this omitted detail is obviously a mystery, as soon we follow the man as he takes the bracelet and attempts to track down the girl, in a series of paths almost crossing but not meeting, as he attempts to find this woman and return the lost bracelet to its owner. Either he is a very good Samaritan, or he really likes this lady—another detail that is left open to the viewer's interpretation. For a moment, we watch the band break into a Satriani-flavored jam, and we are left to wonder at this couple's fate. We feel the man's frustration as he rounds street corners just seconds after she has gone, and feel sorry for him as he sits on some steps, looking heartbroken. Will he find the woman? Will he think of another way to seek out the bracelet's owner? I can't give away too many spoilers, right...?

For more information on Dream Spectrum, visit their official website.