Review: A Neverending John’s Dream – Coming Back To Paradise

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Review: A Neverending John’s Dream – Coming Back To Paradise

Pride & Joy Music (April 19th, 2024)

Reviewer: David Pearce

Barcelona based rock band A Neverending John’s Dream feature Joan M. Heredia (drums and vocals) who wrote and produced the entire album, David Vidal (guitars), Paul E. Schuster (bass) and Xavier Miró (keyboards). Their debut album is called ‘Coming Back to Paradise’.

The album starts with ‘Welcome to my Ghost Kingdom’ a track that sounds like Jean Michel Jarre in places but with a harder edge. It’s a really intriguing opener that makes the listener wonder which direction the album will go in. ‘Coming Back to Paradise’ the title track has a really good guitar riff and sets out an 80s style rock sensibility that reminds me of a cross between Europe, musically, and Foreigner, vocally. It’s a well-crafted song, musically and lyrically, that I really enjoyed. ‘Equilibrium’ has a superb lead vocal and a tune that features an excellent keyboard riff from Xavier Miró which made me think of a heavier version of Renaissance. It gathers pace with the addition of crunching guitars and also features, believe it or not, a recording of Charlie Chaplin from The Great Dictator! It is a mix of styles that really shouldn’t work but it does against the odds.

‘I’ve Lost My Dreams’ sees A Neverending John’s Dream channel their heavier side with an anthemic chorus and crunching guitars that explode from the speakers. It’s a proper rock track that will be great played live. It’s a real vocal workout for Joan Hereida and she is more than up to the task. ‘If We Stand United’ amps up the volume even further as the guitarist David Vidal and bassist Paul Schuster channel their heaviest side and propel this song along with massive rock energy. ‘Alone With My Shadow’ is the obligatory rock ballad and sees Miro channel a Roy Bittan style piano which sounds superb. The chorus soars and is a good example of Hereida’s excellent vocal style. Halfway through the album and we have already covered a whole range of styles. What’s in store for the second half?

‘Prisoners of this Life’ has a Bon Jovi style guitar riff and vocal that immediately takes you back to 1986 and does so with verve and enjoyment. ‘In Our Hands’ is the heaviest track so far with a driving guitar that makes you sit up and take notice immediately. It’s simply a superb rock track that’s another one I would love to hear live. ‘Sad Winter’ is another well crafted track that perhaps belongs in the folk rock tradition and perhaps gives the best example of the four band members coming together seamlessly as a band. Each element combines to make this track my favourite on the album as a perfectly realised rock song. ‘Save Me from Myself’ is another track that shows the fascination Hereida has with 80s rock. It is very well structured and has a completeness to it that makes it immensely satisfying. The penultimate ‘Mother of All’ starts with a crushing riff and then moves to a vocal that once again reminded me of Renaissance and which rise above the music effortlessly. It’s a stunning vocal performance from Hereida, probably her best on the album. The final track ‘Sunrise’ has a clever start which has someone searching through stations on a car radio and finding clips from some of the previous songs on the album. It was a start that made me smile. When the track gets going, it’s a really effective album closer that gives everyone a chance to shine and ends the album on a high note, literally and metaphorically.

This is an excellent debut from A Neverending John’s Dream, and, given the quality on display here, I really look forward to hearing more from them.

Tracklist:

  1. Welcome To My Ghost Kingdom
  2. Coming Back To Paradise
  3. Equilibrium
  4. I’ve Lost My Dreams
  5. If We Stand United
  6. Alone With My Shadow
  7. Prisoners Of This Life
  8. In Our Hands
  9. Sad Winter
  10. Save Me From Myself
  11. Mother Of All
  12. Sunrise

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