“The Dream” by William Maselli

A bold infusion of cello, searing electric guitar, piano keys, and a stoic lead vocal await those who press the play button on William Maselli’s new single and music video, “The Dream,” this August, and although the componentry in this performance might be familiar to most, it’s the way this artist puts it into use that is almost certain to leave you utterly spellbound.

“The Dream” has pop music influences that are undeniable even to the untrained ear, but for those who are especially keen on the history of classical music, this is a crossover from the old world into the new that feels almost larger than life – even in moments where it’s wearing a minimalist identity like few other songs you’ll hear this year will. The foundations of rock are evident in the manner of delivery Maselli chooses to utilize, with much grandeur I might add, but the actual framing of this piece is as operatic as it is poetic in a sense that most radio-bound singles simply just can’t compensate for. From top to bottom, this is a listen tailored to the aficionado more than anyone else.

These harmonies, while brooding and filled with a dose of vitality when and where it counts, are pretty understated in the grander scheme of things, not unlike the tempo of the music itself. Maselli is in no rush to take us to the promised land in this performance; he wants us to enjoy the journey and the bit of pressurized melodicism that boils over every now and again between verses. His is quite the patient approach to this kind of a composition, but then again, there’s really nothing outwardly conventional about the way he’s made any part of this song. He’s using abstract elements to make even the most straightforward of lyrics sound like a dream-born statement, and even though I don’t usually like piano parts as imposing as these are standing up to a muted electric guitar, it’s subtle things like this that give “The Dream” a much more unique profile than what the competition has been mustering up lately.

I didn’t know anything about William Maselli before I listened to this track for the first time ahead of its August release date, but having got a sense of what he can do in the recording studio here, I think it’s more than likely that we’re going to see a lot more quality content on this level from his camp as 2022 unfolds. There’s a lot to explore within the format he’s working with, and while I think it would be wrong to say he should restrict himself to experimental material in the future, there’s definitely something very provocative about the boundaries he’s pushing in “The Dream” and, moreover, what he could potentially do with this sound the next time he steps into the studio to make something original. Equally classical and contemporary, this is a single that doesn’t live in the shadow of any other – which can’t be said for many buzz-worthy releases at the moment.

Mindy McCall