Eisley Digs Into The Core Meanings Of Their Music In "I'm Only Dreaming... Of Days Long Past"

Acoustic versions of music allow artists to really dive into the real meaning of their songs and provide a new, closer, and intimate view on them. Eisley digs into the core meanings of their music in I'm Only Dreaming... Of Days Long Past, a full acoustic revisit of their latest record.

2017's I'm Only Dreaming was met positively, but this acoustic version feels much more raw. There's a newfound honesty and vulnerability found now that most of the instrumentals have been stripped away. The beautiful vocals of opening track 'Always Wrong' grab you instantly, before 'Defeatist' kicks in with the more heavy hitting words. The song feels like it's sadly admitting to something it wish it could have ignored, this quieter version making that sound even more harrowing. Other tracks like 'Louder Than A Lion' really highlight the vocals and use them as the main force to drive the meanings, rather than layers of instruments.

There's a heartbreaking quality to I'm Only Dreaming... Of Days Long Past that just makes these songs feel so much more emotionally heavy. 'A Song For The Birds' is calming but sounds like a plea for help in this format, as does 'You Are Mine.' 'Rabbit Hole' really revolves around the lyrics, revealing a taunting message that may go back around to a potentially abusive relationship. Not only do these new acoustic reimaginings give a gateway for the lyrics to really tell a story, but they are also now able to tell hundreds of different, intimate, and personal stories that go beyond what they originally intended.

Eisley digs into the core meanings of their music in I'm Only Dreaming... Of Days Long Past, stripping down the music from their latest record to add a sense of intimacy to them. These versions feel incredibly vulnerable, and perhaps that's the magic of it: there's a certain confidence it takes to be willing to really be honest about the true nature of these songs like this, and Eisley nailed it all.

Favorite Track: Always Wrong

Least Favorite Track: Sparkling

Rating: 74 / 100

Stream or buy I'm Only Dreaming... Of Days Long Past on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: