Chris St. John - When Dreams End
Chris St. John is an independent singer/songwriter who has been making waves in the independent music scene with his frequent releases. An emerging artist, St. John’s audience is certainly growing as quickly as he is releasing songs. We have previously listened to Chris St. John’s single, “Hey Siri” and today we are back to listen to his entire latest album, When Dreams End!
When Dreams End starts off with “Lost Without Your Love”. This song is slow, tender and very crisp, providing a very heartfelt and honest listening experience while setting the stage for the rest of the album brilliantly. The second track is “Oh Papa”, a song about St. John losing his father - a relatable message for anyone who has lost a parent - and I was deeply impressed by how St. John is able to surround such a tragedy with such artistry; this song truly lets the listener know they are not alone in the pain they are feeling through their loss. “No More One Mores” is third and, wow, what a special song. Not only does the vocal melody in this duet flow phenomenally, the lyrics are also absolutely perfect and this song stood out as a personal favorite for me from this album.
“What’s Wrong With Me” is the fourth track from When Dreams End and within it, I found a certain intensity as St. John reflects on lost dreams and his lack of understanding on his shortcomings. I felt a certain desperation within this song, too, and I think this is something anyone can relate to throughout their lives. The title track from the album, “When Dreams End”, follows and I understand why Chris St. John chose this song to lend its name to the album. Although the tone in this song does not initially feel like it, throughout the song we hear about Chris St. John’s return to spirituality and the song truly ends on an uplifting note. Sixth from the album is “Her Name Was Lilly”, a very unique track as it features St. John singing a Spanish-language chorus. This track is based on the experiences that St. John went through during his mission trips to the country of El Salvador and “the beauty [he] found in the people and the country”. I also really enjoyed the richly textured instrumental in this one; it really helps to bring out the lyrics and really makes this song one of the album’s heavy hitters.
“These Curves” is the penultimate song from When Dreams End and it again shows us a softer and tender side to Chris St. John. This song feels like a kind of story or internal reflection that St. John is going through and it again feels like an honest experience that you know is coming from St. John’s heart. “Bitter Tears” closes the album out on a sad but deeply relatable note as this song is about a long-term relationship coming to an end. Most of us have gone through such heartbreak and I feel like Chris St. John captures those emotions beautifully; the guitar in this song perfectly accents the emotions shared by his vocals and lyrics. “Bitter Tears” really ends things on an emotional note and it leaves the kind of impact that will make you want to return to this album for another listen.
When Dreams End is a great album that has many genres coming together to make the album special; there are mixes of Country, Folk, Rock and many other elements at play here that give this album a truly unique sound. The production on this album, completed by Musik and Film’s Stephen Wrench, is phenomenal as well, truly building on the emotions and experience that Chris St. John is sharing with his compositions. St. John’s lyrics are also outstanding and each song plays well with the way the instrumentals are written to paint a complete picture each time.
I imagine you all will like this album a lot so make sure you check out Chris St. John’s music and social media. You can keep up with Chris St. John through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and his website (where you can also buy his merch). You can also find his music on YouTube and SoundCloud. We have When Dreams End embedded below!
