“Dream Girl, Decide” is a rousing rock single from Port Streets, a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Orange County, CA. The initial piano-centric entry suggests a sophisti-pop foray, though the ensuing direction is very much in a rocking, power-pop embrace.
The melodic guitar washes and underlying organ complement the catchy title-referencing chorus. The bursting guitar solo past the two-minute mark touts a power-pop engrossment, strongly reminiscent of prime-era Weezer. The lyrics, lamenting recurring mental hospitalizations of a loved one, builds with resonance — expressing a sense of exhaustion, though also an enduring love.
The track also features a variety of accomplished musicians, including vocalist Rigby Jones, guitarist Simon Carlstedt, drummer John O’Reilly (fun., The Format, Sarah Bareilles), organist Steve Peffer (Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan), and guitarist Bill Grabowski (Bon Jovi). The track was mixed by Mike Butler (Phoebe Bridgers, The Shins).
Port Streets is releasing new music every four weeks, for the remainder of 2022. “Dream Girl, Decide” and “Bleeding Out” are the most recent entries. The latter is a string-laden fusing of folk and rock, succeeding with similarly ardent results. Port Street’s musical background, with training as a classical pianist and jazz theory, converges with a knack for accessibly melodic songwriting.
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This track and others featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of June 2022’ Spotify playlist.
