Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams

Audio Mixer: Adam Round.
An indie crooner with an eye to the mid-century vocal era of a thirty-something Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Cameron Avery makes a surprising solo debut with Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams. It's a distinct break from the psych-rock of his former band Pond and association with Tame Impala as touring bassist, as well as from his noisier garage revival band, the Growl. The Australian instead embraces strings, piano, and, on occasion, impulsive electric guitar inspired by early rock and scenes of the '60s. The album opens with the acoustic guitar serenade "A Time and Place," backed lightly by double bass, brushed drum kit, and saxophone. Strings soon join the set's tenderer arrangements, all led by Avery's ripe baritone. While the track list opens with tunes that could pass as covers of the Rat Pack, he blends heavier drums, electric guitar, and strings into "Wasted on Fidelity," which has a more modern sensibility, if an equally tuneful one. Trashy guitar tones à la the Beatles' "Taxman" toughen up "The Cry of Captain Hollywood," an interlude with dramatic strings, and he hits peak rock & roll on "Watch Me Take It Away," a slinky, percussive romp with fat fuzz while Avery growls the song's title with emphasis. Though Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams would never be mistaken for a 60-year-old recording, it has an undeniably theatrical quality that owes a debt to that era's movie themes and composer-for-hire balladry. Avery himself has referenced Sinatra, Johnny Hartman, Elvis Presley, and Etta James among its inspirations. He throws the kitchen sink at the closer, "C'est Toi," which incorporates slide guitar, soaring strings, dramatic starts and stops, and lyrics in the superlative. Like the whole album, it's a hard sell that pays off with a lasting impression. ~ Marcy Donelson