Bob Vylan – Dream Big Review

Nothing beats having your eardrums rattled by the vibrations of a strong post-punk band. None of this nonsense from those Bob Vylan has upset with their honest and essential comments on stage. Middle-of-the-road is not a place for punk. Strike with action, with vigour and with heart. Dream Big has all three within it and it naturally makes for an essential listen – as Bob Vylan proved with their debut record. Thankful we should be their presence is continuing, this latest piece from the upcoming album Humble As The Sun is a decent continuation of their style so far. It has a bigger heart to it – growing on from the experience of a tour just last year. Grow into it, then, the best do.  

Replacing childhood laughter with a harsher rock swing to it, heavy guitars and being terrified of life but holding firm with the ambitions set at an early age, Dream Big is a chilling, accurate and punchy bit of work from Bobby and Bobbie. Dare to dream may be an overused and overworked mantra to follow but Dream Big pumps the last few droplets of adrenalin from such a tired place. Tough times are ahead, make no mistake about it. You did not need Bob Vylan to tell you this, but they certainly reassure when times get tough. Every right to dream big, all the space and time to do so. Life is not lived without aiming high and gathering yourself up when you fall a little short. Defiant chants of the track title hit well and remind us time is not at a standstill.  

Reminding listeners of this passage, the constant shift and movement is vital. It is the reason to take action, responsibility for decisions and plunge deep into the heart of interests, whatever they may be. Dream Big maintains a broad and perplexing sentiment, it links itself deeply with the heart of working-class Britain and as time passes us by, it only gets worse. Cold flats occupied with warm souls. What a line. Binary opposites which provide a simple, effective and welcoming appeal to them while also aiming at those responsible for using their time to worsen the lives of others. Bob Vylan, should they keep this state of play and consistency up, may have an exceptional record on their hands – one which gets ever-closer to capturing the grim realities of the world around them.  

Post-punk needs voices as strong and pure as Bob Vylan. There is no sense of arrogance or misplaced rage to Dream Big – there is only an optimistic chant and a real desire to help improve those who listen in. Lend an ear and hopefully, inspiration hits. Vast improvements on previous material which leaned a little too heavily into contemporary culture and away from the vast talents Bobby and Bobbie have as instrumentalists, Dream Big is a rising, impressive single which gets better listen by listen. It does well to stand out amid a sea of verbal lashings against the horrid powers that be – and when they are finally dead and buried, Dream Big will serve as a reminder to pursue the heart no matter how hard it gets. Dream big.