Tobias Isaksson’s bold foray into overtly romantic synth pop comes into full fruition this week with the release of his second full length under the Azure Blue moniker. Like the soundtrack to a fantasy movie that’s never been made, Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is a record filled with unabashed wonder, pastel coloured hues and heart flipping melodies. Oh, and synthesisers. A lot of synthesisers. As a reference point: it’s the exact record that fellow Stockholm group The Sound Of Arrows could have made if they’d only steered clear of major label temptation and production values. As the wistful opener ‘Time Is On Our Side’ bursts into the tear inducing epic ‘The Road I Know’, the pace of the record continues through a lustrous sea of texture and emotion that’s delivered with incredible panache. If there was ever a remake of The Never Ending Story on the cards, its score has already been written.   --The Line of Best Fit

 

The second Azure Blue album 'Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt' is ten tracks of polished pure sentimental indie pop. The track 'Time is On Our Side' summons up the ghosts of summers past and forgotten dreams of childhood, possibly even the smell and taste of your first boyfriend/girlfriend. Majestically warm and simultaneously aloof like 'Behaviour' by Pet Shop Boys, this is powerfully emotive indie electro pop.   --Deadly Music

 

Tobias Isaksson is a fan of a good party. After having made upbeat slop pop with his previous band Irene, and scaled-back folk as part of Laurel Music, he's been around the block a few times—able to laugh about things like entourages and riders. (Memo to booking agents: he loves a dry white wine.) Now writing and performing as Azure Blue, Isaksson is still quick to crack a joke. But his music has taken a more solemn turn, full of whispery electronic odes to love and the heartache that follows. His second album under the moniker, Beyond the Dreams There's Infinite Doubt, continues the melancholic, New Order-for-dreamers vibe; Isaksson weaves together a synth- and drum-machine-fueled, slow-motion disco.   --Interview Magazine

 

First things first: no one should be covering Sade's "By Your Side" ever again. Her version was perfect enough, then Beachwood Sparks' reinterpretation made it indie perfect. The Swedish indie poppers Azure Blue should have put the notion that a majestic synth pop take on the song would sound good back in the box of bad ideas from which it came. Mores the pity because the rest of their second album, 2013's Beyond the Dreams There's Infinite Doubt, is a synthy, poppy delight that needs no excuses. Tobias Isaksson, who was in the bands Laurel Music and Irene, clearly has a handle on how to construct simple, very hooky songs, then coat them in the finest post-New Order synthesizers for maximum impact. The album has the feel of a lost gem from a really good second-tier band from the mid-'80s that never got a break but was just as good as the bands that did make it. Sort of the same phenomenon his previous bands suffered from, since they never really hit either. Probably the same fate this band and record will suffer, which is too bad because Beyond the Dreams is just as good as any synth pop going in 2013. It might be a little too sunny to be taken seriously by the gloom-and-doom set, and songs like the sweetly romantic "Sunset" and the fluffy "Time Is on Our Side" are probably way too happy for the average synth pop fan. Indie pop fans who aren't averse to an absence of guitars should give the album a try though; the melodies and Isaksson's vocals are perfectly pop and the overall light tone makes the album very easy to embrace. Just make sure you skip over "By Your Side."   --All Music Guide

 

If you haven't been sizing up the singles leading up to the release of Azure Blue's sophomore album, 'Beyond The Dreams There's Infinite Doubt,' then you're in for a real treat. The third song was just revealed the other day, and "Sunset" is another in a line of lovely synth-pop gems that dazzle like something from Factory Records' salad days. Azure Blue is the solo project of a talented Swede named Tobias Isaksson. He's on the roster of the brilliant Matinée Recordings here in America, but I dug up this older description of the band name and his music from the site of his European label. "[Azure Blue] is a paraphrase of Dennis Wilson's 'Pacific Ocean Blue.' Tobias says: 'It's Wilson's honest look with the epic beard and the ocean blue mood itself that has inspired me. Along with other male storytellers like Ernest Hemingway, Klas Östergren and Grant McLennan. I wanted to make a mature AOR record but ended up flirting with new wave and new romantic as well.'" With namedropping like that, you know you're in good hands. Bliss.   --Linear Tracking Lives

 

I have been known to like a little synth with my pop, and there's no doubt Swede Tobias Isaksson feels the same way. In another time Azure Blue would have fit right in with Factory's stable of stars.   --Linear Tracking Lives (Favorite Albums of 2013)

 

Not to be confused with the Scottish band Deacon Blue, the popular boy band Blue or the white nationalist teen-pop due Prussian Blue, Azure Blue is an electro-pop project by Swedish musician Tobias Isakkson. Like a clear summer sky or a particularly satisfying Dulux colour, it’s easy to get lost in.   --Time Out London

 

With Azure Blue, former Irene and Laurel Music songwriter Tobias Isaksson creates a melange of '80s synthpop textures and '90s shoegaze vocals mixed with that wall of sound, perfected by pop music back in the '60s. Yet, this music sounds utterly contemporary. Azure Blue’s debut album, Rule of Thirds, received many critical accolades back in 2011 with the culmination being a win for best pop album in the Swedish version of the Grammys last year. Now Isaksson returns with his sophomore album under the Azure moniker, the philosophically titled Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt. Matinée Records will release the album next week in the US.   --PopMatters

 

Swedish musician/producer Tobias Isaksson (the man behind the name Azure Blue) has a bit of a problem. Take a couple of songs off his first album and you'd have a really quite good combination of synth-pop and indiepop. Look at debut 'Rule Of Thirds'; if you removed say, 'The Catcher In The Rye' and maybe 'Little Confusions', it would be a wonderful record. The problem isn't that these songs let the side down, it's the total opposite. 'The Catcher In The Rye' grows on you, in fact it probably grows in you; it becomes a part of you. If you want alternative, credible pop music then it doesn't come any better. All those other fine tracks on the album pale slightly by comparison. It's an odd situation, a bit like everyone watching Barcelona because Messi is playing, and forgetting that the rest of the team are some of the best footballers of our generation. So Azure Blue has two problems to tend to with second long-player 'Beyond The Dreams There's Infinite Doubt'. Most importantly, he has to conjure up another collection of songs that, like the first album, are the kind of pop music that The Sound Of Arrows promised to deliver early on before heading for commercial places, much to their detriment. The first singles from the new record were 'The Road I Know' and 'Willows And Pines', both of which belong in the same magical land as 'The Catcher In The Rye', particularly the former. Rarely does synth-pop meet with indiepop to such stunning effect. The man's pulled off the trick again; these are classics. It's this double-barrel of dreamy bliss that kicks off 'Beyond The Dreams...' and it feels like being in a wonderland: pure escapism with added melody. It's the same problem again; how on Earth do you keep that up for ten tracks? The simple answer is that you can't, but Tobias Isaksson gives it a darn good shot here, improving on the (very good) debut. The singles are followed by the interlude of 'Sunrise' and then more high quality tunes in the pensive, floaty 'When The Love Is Pure And True'. "Ethereal" is one of the most cringeworthy words used in music reviews, but rarely is it more fitting than in these songs. Recent single 'Sunset' seems nice at first but grows with each listen, until it's virtually on a par with the alchemy of the aforementioned tracks. 'The Bitter End' is more potential single material and 'By Your Side' is beautiful, almost having the same sentiment (but not sound) as classic soul tracks in the vein of 'Stand By Me'; a powerful statement of unity and dedication to someone. 'Do Not Go Gentle' ignores its own advice and is an swoonsome ambient instrumental, as is 'Beyond The Dreams'. Bowing out with more pristine pop, 'Time Is On Our Side' ensures the album ends with a certain majesty. Azure Blue has gone one better this time around and crafted an enchanting listen start to finish. Still, there is the odd song that is simply a cut above. You can bet your life that if a Greatest Hits album arrives in a few years it will be an essential purchase, and that's not to say this release isn't already.   --Sounds XP

 

At its best, synth pop is emotionally satisfying music. It lifts the listener's spirits, extends horizons and makes the world seem a bit brighter. And Beyond the Dreams There's Infinite Doubt from Azure Blue is synth pop at its best. Vintage synths and driving drum machines form a platform for Tobias Isaksson's soft vocals. The synths are layered tastefully for maximum emotional impact, providing the background and emphasizing the melody. And at the end of the day, the success of synth pop comes down to the melodies, and on that score Beyond the Dreams There's Infinite Doubt excels from start to finish. There is a nostalgia-inducing similarity to the Pet Shop Boys and New Order, although in Isaksson's hands the result feels more atmospheric and romantic. This is one of those albums that present a challenge when trying to pick representative tracks. I picked out five candidates, and played them over and over, reluctant to reject any of them. I finally settled on the following three: The more restrained "Willow and Pines"; the captivating and sparkling "Sunset"; and standout track "The Road I Know".   --When You Motor Away

 

Azure Blue is the solo project of already successful Tobias Isaksson, who is hailed internationally for his work with Swedish bands, Irene and Laurel Music. Also a popular DJ in Sweden, Isaksson has made his name well known all over Scandinavia, which is probably why you’re asking yourself who exactly is this guy and why he matters to you, since his fame hasn’t really made it to the States yet. The answer is simple: Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is a new wave record that deserves some attention. Though some of you may have heard some Azure Blue through the debut album, Rule of Thirds, for most this is probably your first encounter with its new wave, electronic style. “Time Is On Our Side” opens up the journey through the dreamy electro pop on a bold note, with the line, “I only wanted something real,” that seems to embark upon a story of a romantic nature; the declaration so earnest and sincere it begs you to connect to it. Meanwhile the music is a constantly swirling mix of battling synthesizers and soft percussion that you would expect of something that belongs in the new wave genre. At just under five minutes in length, this opening track gives you a basic idea of what this album has in store for you, but Azure Blue is only just beginning. Immediately after this opening warm up track, the energy level gets turned up on “The Road I Know,” and from there they refuse to look back. The synthesizers are now more than droning waves of sound, but active parts of the mix, evoking the melody of the song right alongside Isaksson and some higher pitched vocals that pair nicely with his deep-set voice. Together, they create a lovely choral, dreamlike, arc to the song. Their vocals are smothered in reverb, which culminates with the chalky percussion so that the meandering synth riffs really stick out to give the song some harder edges. It ends slowly, with each layered element gradually fading away from the mix, and creating a solid song with a beginning, middle and end; six minutes flies by without you ever feeling slightly bored.   --Austin Town Hall

 

Sweden’s Azure Blue has released a brand new record, a younger sibling to 2011′s critically acclaimed (not to mention award-winning!) debut album Rule of Thirds. Stockholm’s Tobias Isaksson’s second effort is entitled Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt, and deals with “moving to the loneliest neighbourhood in the suburb, blurred and broken nights in the city and a pursuit of inner peace that is long gone”. It’s an altogether darker affair than Isaksson’s debut, but retains the melodic fortitude, the hypnotic hooks and reverb-laden delicacy that we’ve come to love from the Swedish artist.   --JaJaJa Music

 

The Swedish Independent Grammy Winner Azure Blue is about to release his sophomore album to masses. And a week before he drops it, we get to hear its entirety. His album Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt catches the producer and songwriter heading into dreamier territory than his first outing. We’ve already sampled the likes of “The Road I Know,” “Willows And Pines,” and “Sunset.” The whole album has a naturalistic theme running through its veins. Azure Blue’s sophomore album will be officially released on October 8, 2013 via Matinée Records.   --Prefix

 

Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is the title of the upcoming second album from Swedish purveyor of fine 80s-inspired synth pop Toby Isaksson who performs under the name of Azure Blue. Painting a breathlessly mesmerising dreamscape with entrancing vocals, gorgeous synths and gently rousing electronica, Beyond the Dreams… evokes the same calming euphoria as the equally sublime Voyage which fellow Swedes Sound of Arrows put out back in 2011.   --Chartshaker

 

Azure Blue’s sophomore album certainly stands out from the current crowd of releases. Labelled as a pop artist, Tobias Isaksson fuels his music with electro and synthesised vibes - very different to the sort of pop music you hear over British radio waves. Isaksson had won accolades and acclaim for his debut album, and his new album is said to achieve the same success. And, to some extent, it’s unsurprising. This album is perfect for those of you who loved Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Drive’ with Ryan Gosling. That movie was stellar for many reasons; one of those reasons being the soundtrack. The soundtrack was unique and nearly every person I’ve met who has seen the film adored the musical score. This Azure Blue album is very similar. In fact, this album could easily have been used to score the movie alone. And that’s why I do enjoy it. It has a mixture of elements thrown in, ranging from being romantic to being emotionally darker. For example, “The Bitter End” might sound fairly upbeat, but the lyrics are almost juxtaposing - describing how the speaker needs time to think, even if that means he never sees the addressee ever again. Keep an ear out for “The Road I Know” and the “Sunrise”/”Sunset” tracks. They’re just a handful of the standout songs on this wonderfully crafted album.   --Seesound

 

Tobias Isakssons – Eller Azure Blue som den här reinkarnationen heter – nya album Beyond the dreams there’s infinite doubt.. känns lite som ledmotivet till din egen coming-of-age movie från 80-talet: Du går omkring i ditt eget mentala diskotek och letar desperat efter den där tjejen men överallt stöter du bara i anonyma ansikten och ryggar och sökandet för dig in i en helveteslabyrint utan lösning. Men, så plötsligt öppnas en dörr där längst in i en korridor, ljus strömmar mot dig och däri en varm och välbekant silhuett. Produktionen – det handlar om synthar och trummaskiner – är precis så där lagom platt för att man skall tro på naiviteten i melodierna och de inte alltid för muntra texterna. För Azure Blue är riktigt bra och kommer gå på repeat under hemmaförfester, där du själv står och stampar i hallen med och vill iväg medan den där kvinnan du till sist återfann i din labyrint står i badrummet framför spegeln och aldrig tycks bli färdig.   --Göteborg Nonstop

 

Debuten var lovande. Den hade spår med tydligt hitpotential men den var inte riktigt färdig. På uppföljaren har Azure Blue, eller Tobias Isaksson, tagit ett steg till. Vi pratar om drömsk pop med hjärtat så skört fastsatt på jackslaget att det närmast lossnar. Innerliga, ärliga texter som skär genom en kärlekärsompåfilm-romantiserande själ. Enda minuset på albumet är att det stundtals känns som att soundet upprepar sig, att låtarna stundals flyter in i varandra. Men, och det är ett stort men, sådant glöms väldigt lätt bort när hjärtan blöder.   --Digital Life

 

Och visst, när man tänker på Styles ”Du och jag” kan man ju känna av drömmarnas mjuka underströmmar glida in i verkligheten. Och att lyssna på svenska drömpopbandet Postiljonen, är det inte lite som att glida omkring på en flygande monsterhunds rygg ovanför världen i den parallella verkligheten Fantastica? I min jakt på potentiella föregångare till genren, och särskilt Azure Blue, har jag gått från M83 och bakåt — och genom popmaskhål hamnade jag hos Harold Faltermeyer, ”Axel F” och smöriga 80talsballader, och via soundtracket till Flashdance på något sätt till Limahls ”Neverending Story” (producerat av den nu totalt avdankade syntpionjären Giorgio Moroder) som titelspåret till just den där färden över Fantastica på hundrygg: jakten på prinsessan i molnen, i drömmen. Precis som i Terry Gilliams Brazil blir dessa barndomsfantasier till jakten i ditt liv på den rätte. Från tysk fantasy till din innersta dröm och flykt ifrån verklighetens banalitet, ondska, kyla, ångest och den annalkande mardrömmen. Det där temat som allt i världen runtomkring dig säger är det viktigaste av allt, jakten på kärleken. Man kan säga att Azurens dröm, hans andragiv Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt, utspelar sig under täcket efter allt det där. Om New Wave och New Romantic valde andra vägar för syntpopen — vägen bort ifrån heart on the sleeve-feels och uppenbara ballader till kallare, mer ironiska atmosfärer, texter och ljudlandskap. Olika slags masker, murar och krigsstrategier på popmarknaden, bort ifrån kommersialismens Disneys-teman och mer åt punk, kraftwerk, hat, samhällskritik, och teknologisk distans. Ja, ni vet, det är viktigt att vara seriös och viktigt att inte avslöja sig själv. New Order tog ibland en annan riktning dock. Titta på ”Your Silent Face”, från mästerverket Power, Corruption & Lies, till exempel. Rena, ohämmade känslor, stora synthlandskap och ett hjärta som pulserar på riktigt. Det är inte så konstigt att just Tobias Isaksson valde att göra en Summer Of No Love-edit av den låten åt oss för två månader sen. Om han öppnade sitt hjärta för oss på Rule Of Thirds, debutalbumet, så gömde han sig ändå bakom popreferenser precis som vilken poptrickster som helst, men på Beyond The Dreams… går han fullt ut med både hjärta och synth. Albumet börjar med ”Time Is On Our Side”, i dåsigheten efter en dröm vid uppvaknandet, det där tillståndet då allt för en stund kan kännas som om allt det värsta som kan hända inte har hänt än och man är i famnen på den kärlek man förlorade: ”Sweet dreams arise and take control / enjoy the ride don’t fake it / I can still believe in feelings / but I still want to feel and believe in / time is on our side”. Vad har Isaksson drömt om? Kanske en vidsträckt resa genom America? Öppningen pekar på Jack kerouac On The Road och Dean Moriartys zenaktiga tillstånd mitt i kaoset, i en bil i full hastighet, svängande mellan andra bilister, berg, stup och den där försäkringen om att tiden är på vår sida, det är lugnt, det är lugnt. Aldrig riktigt förstått vad Kicks-filosofen menade men jag tror det handlar om att man kan vara lugn i de värsta av situationer. Till exempel när kärleken går åt helvete och hjärtat är krossat. Tobias berättade att det är det mest personliga albumet han har gjort, att det handlar om kärleken och hur den när som helst kan ta slut, och vad som händer när den gör det: sjunkandet i havet som en sten (”Willows and Pines”), virvlarna av ilska och den kommande totala natt (som Dylan sjöng om i ”Not Dark Yet”) i ”Sunset” och det bittra och heliga slutet på allt i ”The Bitter End”. Det är en bedrift att skapa ett riktigt kärleksalbum som samtidigt är en modern hitkavalkad, utan att falla tillbaka på lallande och superlånga interludier av känsla och solos, något som självaste Per Gessle hade avundats. Jag minns att när jag först hörde ”By Your Sade” så tänkte jag inte ens på att det var en Sade-cover. Covern, som han gjort till en väns bröllop, hade främmandegjort originalet för mig och jag trodde det var en ny ballad, skriven av Azuren själv. Men självklart visste jag innerst inne att jag hört det förut. Och man kan se detta som ett uttryck för hur Isaksson har behandlat både ”drömpop”-genren och det där största av alla teman, på sitt alldeles egna underbara sätt – det är något man hört förut men ändå inte. Det är ett enhetligt album som följer en strikt form, och på det sättet skiljer det sig från våra drömmar. Analoga syntar, vars ljud har förfinats i besatthet tillsammans med Claes Björklund, pumpar frenetiskt som om det fanns en popriktning av Detroit-techno med Robert Hood i spetsen. Det är lätt hänt att kritiker missar storheten i detta album, för det är skapat med en sådan elegans att varje låt framstår som en självklarhet. Som en vanlig poplåt. Men det är inte vilka slags poplåtar som helst, utan en perfekt syntes av den bästa syntmusiken som produceras idag. Vår barndoms drömmar om kärlek är viktiga för oss, men vi kanske borde söka oss bortom Disney och Neverending Story och mot en mer vuxen horisont, för tillsammans har vi under de senaste decennium av pop växt, och växt. Och vi är redo att möta kärlekens bittra eftersmak med värdighet, inga mer svarta tårar från myspace, och vi är inte längre barn av Styles mellanstadieromanser — och vad är det egentligen som kommer efter förkrosselsen? Kreativ energi, en jävla massa kreativ energi, och en helt ny azurblå färg på himmelen. Ta det från den hårdast arbetande popartisten i vår samtid: ”Sedan är jag stolt över den producent jag blivit under arbetet med Azure Blue. Nu gör jag färdiga produktioner hela vägen fram till mastering själv. Det kommer massa mer musik från mig framöver.” Det kan bara komma bättre och bättre musik från en av våra absolut bästa popskapare. Så lämna tvivlet på andra sidan drömmarna åt andra, för någonstans, i en annan ny dröm, i ny pop, finns det fortfarande ett ställe där kärleken är ren och sann. 9.3 / 10   --Ge Hit Musiken

 

Tras un notable debut en 2011, el sueco Tobias Isaksson no ha querido bajarse del tren del dream pop sintetizado y las diferencias entre ambos álbumes se basan en meras anécdotas. Sin problema, el resultado sigue encandilando gracias a su agudo sentido del pop a nivel melódico, clara herencia escandinava, que ha explotado incluso de manera más acusada en esta continuación, aunque su sonido resulte más espacial y expansivo. Los sintetizadores como colchón sonoro de melodía y lírica más o menos sencillas, pero sin acabar en el sonrojo, simplicidad o vergüenza ajena, conforman un sólido repertorio de canciones donde incluso podemos encontrar himnos que ponen la piel de gallina, como la escapista Beyond the dreams y la emocionante y elevada The road I know. Aquí la duda no es infinita, pero sí su sonido, que nos sirve de vehículo para recorrer el mundo sin salir de casa. Aunque viajar conduciendo acompañado por esta banda sonora se antoja como toda una experiencia. Eso sí, la versión de By your side de Sade no brilla, y parece que música y voz son cada una de su padre y de su madre.   --Musikorner

 

Tobias Isaksson non smette di colpirci al cuore. Anche ad occhi chiusi riuscirebbe sempre e comunque a trovare il bersaglio, perchè è come se fosse ormai sintonizzato su quella precisa lunghezza d'onda e il battito dei suoi ritmi synthpop fosse proprio quello del nostro organo vitale. Emozioni, nostalgia, sentimenti forti che pulsano avvolgenti e diventano porte per viaggi onirici: nel nuovo capitolo taragato Azure Blue sui incontrano ancora riverberi New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Postal Service incastonati in tensioni liquide e sognanti in cui lasciar viaggiare la mente. E' un volo libero in balia di una brezza che a volte pare leggera e vaporosa, ma invece è ben capace di sostenerci e confortarci. Eleganza e consapevolezza (Time Is On Your Side), elettronica morbida, ipnotica e sensibile, una gamma di colori che si fa variegata e particolareggiata e un gusto melodico che non ha mai una caduta di tono, sia nei momenti più atmosferici (By Your Side) sia in quelli dove il ritmo prende il sopravvento (The Road I Know): il nuovo album di Azure Blue è capace realmente di conquistarci fin dal primo momento e definirlo semplicemente "pop" sarebbe addirittura riduttivo. L'ascolto prolungato produce una speciale sensazione di benessere, creando una vera e propria dipendenza spirituale, lasciandoci stupefatti e magicamente conquistati. Il cuore è stato colpito, ma era quello che volevamo, ne uscirà più forte.   --Troublezine

 

Segundo álbum del proyecto personal de Tobias Isaksson, ex-vocalista de IRENE y de LAUREL MUSIC, en el que observamos una continuación de la estela de pop ensoñador de mucho kilates con la que nos sorprendió en su debut. Diez conmovedoras canciones entre el electropop y el dreampop, con estribillos y melodías de muy alta calidad, y con unas elegantes cajas de ritmos y agradecida presencia de sintetizadores analógicos que nos hacen recordar a los mejores PET SHOP BOYS o NEW ORDER. Son canciones que parecen transportarte a otra época, y es que Tobias atesora el talento y la inspiración necesarios para facturar una decena de composiciones brillantes, que pone los pelos de punta. ‘Beyond the dreams there’s infinite doubt’ no sólo está al nivel de su álbum de debut, sino que lo supera. Un disco mayúsculo y estremecedor. El vinilo es una edición limitada de 500 copias en color granate.   --El Planeta Amarillo

 

La riscoperta wave tra anni ’80 e ’90 non è certo esclusivo appannaggio di artisti d’oltreoceano dall’estetica più o meno lo-fi (ogni riferimento a Captured Tracks e dintorni non è tutt’altro che casuale). Lo dimostrano recenti prove di band svedesi, quali Sambassadeur e Mary Onettes, e adesso il secondo lavoro solista di Tobias Isaksson sotto la denominazione di Azure Blue. Trattandosi di Svezia e in considerazione del retroterra di Isaksson (già in Irene e Laurel Music), l’evanescente estetica di tastiere e sinuosi riverberi viene filtrata attraverso una sensibilità pop intrisa di languori romantici. Fin dal titolo, “Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt” si colloca a mezz’aria tra dolcezze sognanti e sfumature più oscure, che nelle cadenze sintetiche e nelle policrome scie delle tastiere trovano i contorni adeguati per il cantato morbido e rapito di Isaksson. L’album alterna così insistiti episodi synth-pop le cui propulsioni elettroniche suscitano inevitabili accostamenti ai New Order più pop (il singolo “The Road I Know” e “Willows And Pines”) a più numerosi passaggi nei quali le tastiere plasmano rilucenti tappeti aurorali, dal fascino soffice e sognante (è il caso dell’arco tra “Sunrise” e “Sunset”). Addirittura, le morbide coltri sintetiche svaporano in paio di derive quasi completamente ambientali, “Do Not Go Gentle” e la conclusiva “Beyond The Dreams”, che presentano Isaksson sotto l’inedita veste di artefice di sinuosi paesaggi sonori. Tratto comune dei brani resta comunque la delicatezza di Isaksson nel pennellare suoni e melodie fuori dal tempo che, salvo qualche eccesso synth-pop, scioglie tutto il suo romanticismo attraverso la patina di malinconia che, al di là del formato sono prescelto, costituisce l’irrinunciabile nucleo centrale di ogni disco di originaria matrice indie-pop che si rispetti.   --Music Won't Save You

 

Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt è il secondo album del musicista svedese Tobias Isaksson aka Azure Blue. Dopo il bell’esordio del 2011 intitolato Rule of Thirds, il musicista e cantante nordeuropeo continua il suo percorso musicale nostalgico all’insegna degli anni ‘80, della new wave e del new romantic con un nuovo lavoro discografico che si può ascoltare in full streaming su SoundCloud attraverso il player di Musicletter.it. Il risultato è un altro bel disco in bilico tra synth pop e dream pop. Buon ascolto!   --Musicletter