American Dream Machine are a brand spanking new band hailing from the state of Virginia. Defined as Alternative Rock, American Dream Machine’s sound can also be described as including a blend of Pop Rock and Pop Punk, similar to the likes of Lit and The Get Up Kids. Hot off the presses, American Dream Machine are independently releasing their debut album, Deadhearts, on Friday, June 26th, 2020.
A highly energetic and infectious group, American Dream Machine is made up of Vocalist/Guitarist Shawn Adams, Guitarist Mitch Lobuglio, Bassist Scotty Murphy, and Drummer Evan Milowic. Produced by sound board veteran Kile Odell (Motionless in White, Awake At Last), Deadhearts is a collection of ten tracks that American Dream Machine really seem to have placed all of their beings into making it the best album possible.
Speaking profoundly of this journey, Adams has stated: “Deadhearts is the album I’ve been dreaming of making my whole life.These are more than just songs to me. They are pieces of my soul. The lyrics are all about people who have changed us forever. We wanted to pay tribute to them, but at the same time try to use that influence to tell a new story.” Murphy also commented:“I think people are going to connect with these songs the same way I did, and getting to deliver that to people, that connection, is something very special to me.”
As for all of the above, these are bold statements which you do not normally hear from a band as new as American Dream Machine. Most artists will only speak this deeply of their debut album if it truly seems to be something special. Taking a listen for ourselves, Deadhearts is kicked off with a boat-load of Pop Rock energy via the track “Dead.” The debut single, “Bad News” is very engaging with lots of “Whoa Ohs”and was written to address all of the negative press in the world.
Following this, “New Apocalypse” delivers a more current Pop Punk flavor while “Still Breathing” focuses on silver linings and positivity as the band makes a lot of noise. Thereafter, the melancholy mood of “Tomorrow” is followed by the ballad inspired “Virginia.” Keeping your ears moving, “Back to Life” and “Trapped Under You” are worth a listen before the album closer “Heart,” is a life saver of a song.
All energy and spunk, American Dream Machine’s debut, Deadhearts, is a very dynamic album all the way through. Song by song, there is never a dull moment and each polished track showcases American Dream Machine’s ability to write meaningful, engaging, hooky, and stimulating music. All in all, American Dream Machine have all of the potential to be a very popular band and anyone who is into Pop Rock, Pop Punk, or Alternative Rock would be remiss not to take a shot in the dark on Deadhearts. For these reasons, Cryptic Rock gives Deadhearts 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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