On Dreaming the Dark, Tamaryn takes the synth pop of Cranekiss in a very different direction. To examine heartache, loss, and betrayal to their fullest, she sheds dream pop's gauzy passivity for a darker, more urgent style that reveals a newfound depth to her music. Where Cranekiss was soft and blissful, Dreaming the Dark is shiny and aggressive, its glassy surfaces refracting Tamaryn's voice and its beats splintering into spikes. On "Paranoia IV," scuttling industrial rhythms and wildly bowing and bending synths echo the way the song teeters between fear and anger. "Victim Complex" is dark and strangely funky synth pop, suggesting a collaboration between Kate Bush and Wax Trax. The biggest difference between Dreaming the Dark and Tamaryn's other work, however, is the sheer power within its music. As it builds skyward on a gleaming, arpeggiated groove, "Angels of Sweat" is as muscular as it is ethereal, hinting at the effort it takes to get to paradise. Similarly, Tamaryn's lyrics and emotions are more direct than ever. She draws the line between a lover's deception and lies to herself on "Terrified," singing "I can clearly see you/I've had enough of what you feed me." On "Path to Love," her deeply felt vocals call to mind not only Book of Love, but Wax Idols' moody yet uplifting swan song Happy Ending. All of Dreaming the Dark's strengths come together brilliantly on "Fits of Rage," where Tamaryn sounds like a vengeful goddess as she switches between full-throated fury and startling leaps into her upper register. It's a song that's as angry as it is beautiful, a combination that's almost as unlikely as the mix of bouncy and vengeful she pulls off on "The Jealous Kind." As Dreaming the Dark's songs confront pain and choose love in empowering -- and sometimes uncomfortable -- ways, they reveal Tamaryn as a mature, fully formed artist. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		Angels of Sweat
2		Terrified
3		Path to Love
4		Fits of Rage
5		Paranoia IV
6		Victim Complex
7		You're Adored
8		The Jealous Kind
9		Dreaming The Dark

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