Dream

Taking their name from a late 70s incarnation of the legendary Hawkwind, The Hawklords burst into the limelight in 2009 with a memorial benefit concert to Barney Bubbles, the graphic artist responsible for much of Hawkwind’s 70s image, including the 1973 Space Ritual and 1978 Hawklords tours. The band was spearheaded by two original Hawkwords, keyboardists Harvey Bainbridge and Steve Swindells, augmented by two members of the late 90s Hawkwind, vocalist Ron Tree and guitarist Jerry Richards, and Adrian Shaw, bassist with Hawkwind in the mid to late 70s. Stabilizing the drummer position was Dave Pearce, who also works with Shaw in The Bevis Frond. Ejecting former Hawkwind members, the lineup recorded their first album, We Are One, which was released in 2011. A fairly straight-forward affair, it nailed that Hawkwind chugga-chugga but suffered from being a little non-descript over its lengthy but solid 75 minutes. Swindells then exited the band, as touring continued. Dream, their latest release, addresses both of those criticisms, revealing a refreshingly original and detailed yet concise album. The opening track “Dreaming A Dream” immediately lays out the ‘Lords intentions: this is a forward-looking band and one committed to new music. That patented Hawkwind sound is of course inherent, but as the next track D.N.A. affirms, there’s a conviction within that elevates the Hawklords music to something much more than a tribute. Bainbridge’s synth work was exemplary during his long tenure in Hawkwind, and all of that sonic signature is here, floating over the solid rhythmic presence of Shaw and Pearce. Both Richards and Tree, from that somewhat lost period of the late 90s, are phenomenal performers, and the potent combination of the band has provides the full realization on each and every track. The instrumental “Elemental Mind” slows the pace, providing a more elaborate soundscape and classic bridge, while “Nowhere Everywhere” rounds out the mood. “ID Man” then cops a little of Robert Calvert’s rock-n-roll panache, perhaps for good measure. Ron Tree shines on “Nature’s Dance” and “White Rag”, bolstered by a driving rhythm that’s anchored by Richard’s rhythm guitar. The album is rounded out by a blistering live track, “Psychic Eyes”. Dream is an album that fully embodies the Hawkwind spirit and completely avoids any of the drama usually associated with Hawkwind offshoots. How utterly refreshing!