Baltimore-area band Praise has released their third album, ‘All In A Dream,’ out now on Revelation Records. ‘All In A Dream’ is a burst of positive energy through nine songs of springy, melodic-hardcore.
The album darts and dashes through scenes, decades, and genres, united by the core tenets of a catchy song and the impulse to deliver a message. Exploring the themes of introspective struggle, imagining a better world outside of our own, and the evolution of grief throughout the years, the tracks are relatable and hopeful.
To achieve the sound found across the record, the band worked with producer and engineer Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations in Baltimore and Brian McTernan (Be Well) stepped in as a second producer as well, focusing on song structure and vocal performances. To celebrate the album, Praise has shared a video for ‘Life Unknown’ blending a captivating performance with imagery from the colorful world they’ve created with ‘All In A Dream.’
Formed as a five-piece unit in 2010, Praise’s mission statement has been to work within the box of traditional hardcore while exploring the bounds of melody in every possible sense. From the opening note of the title track, ‘All In A Dream’ puts forth that direction with an urgency. The aptly catchy ‘Return To Life,’ featuring guest vocals from Grady Allen of Anxious, focuses on living in the moment, while ‘Suddenly Human’ follows this notion by looking for joy in the present.
The band’s knack for guitar work shines on ‘Limited Sense of Possibility,’ accompanied by backup vocals from McTernan. The album rounds out with the formidable ‘Life Unknown’ and an astounding cover of Hüsker Dü‘s ‘Keep Hanging On,’ bringing the band’s influences to the forefront. The end result is an album that reflects Praise’s most actualized self: a filterless expression of coming to terms with loss, an overwhelmingly difficult world, and how these struggles change who we are and the choices that we make. Backing these lyrical themes are instrumentals that bridge, bend, and bind the seemingly disparate influences of five distinct individuals united by sound, structure, and the pursuit of melody.