Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy’s debut LP "Dream Your Life Away" is nothing if not consistent. Most songs on the album are reliably catchy, folky pop, with “Riptide” standing out as the most infectious among them. However, its failures also arise from its consistency: the album is seriously wanting for diversity between songs. There’s nothing really unique or particularly innovative about the record; Joy’s style is reminiscent of many of his pop contemporaries (“Winds of Change” evokes Mumford & Sons particularly strongly). "Dream Your Life Away" is not a terribly substantial work. Rather, its strength lies in its listenability.
Grade: C
Download: “Riptide”
Sounds best when: Doing some end-of-summer cloud watching at Clark Park.
