Review: American Pets – Bad Dream

February 7th, 2018 by WLOY Staff

Artist: American Pets 

Album: Bad Dream-Single 

RIYL: The Republic Tigers, The Little Ones, Matt Pond PA 

Released: January 5, 2018 

Rating: 10/10 

Do you ever hear a song by a band you’ve never heard of, get excited to look them up to see what else they’ve recorded, and find squat? This is what happened when I looked up American Pets . So, here’s what I know: American Pets classify themselves as a four-piece indie-rock band, they originate from Los Angeles, California, “Bad Dream” is the only song that they have released, but they are releasing their very first EP later this month. “Bad Dream” has me highly anticipating the EP’s release. If I had two words to describe “Bad Dream,” I would use airy yet, grounded. The music itself is light and soft with a constant snare drum beat, twinkly guitar strums, and funky bass lines. On the other hand, the lyrics are grounded (as in real) in the way feelings are expressed. The lyrics of the chorus, “I am breaking in two/and the only thing that could fix me is dreaming with you,” put into words what you wish you could say to your middle school crush. The upbeat music makes the emotions that come with the lyrics more bearable. Also, the vocals sound like the voices I want in my sweetest dreams. “Bad Dream” is super catchy, and it makes you feel like you’re chilling on a cloud and listening to your favorite songs with no worries in the world. 

When I first heard “Bad Dream,” I thought that the track was going to be too pop-like for my liking, but I found myself really digging this tune—even with its slight pop influences. It has just the right amount of reality and chill vibes infused into the music. If you listen to “Bad Dream,” it’s likely you’ll find yourself singing the song to yourself until February 26th when American Pets’ EP, Doing the Best We Can, is finally released.