Object of admiration for David Bowie, venerated by Adrianne Lenker and finally back on track thanks to the support of Big Thief, Tucker Zimmerman had just enough time to record two albums before fate took him away from his renewed career. A fire devastated the house of the singer-songwriter and his wife Marie-Claire, just when the two had started writing and recording new poems and new songs in their garden. A tragedy that is even more bitter in light of the recent publication of the eleven tracks included in “Dream Me A Dream”.
The success of “Dance Of Love” (2024) had reawakened interest in Zimmerman, also allowing new generations to appreciate his talent. In the meantime, both the old recordings from the early 70s (“I Wonder If I'll Ever Come True”) and the collection of songs recorded with Dave Evans (“Music By River Words By Ear”) have been released.
Savoring the tremulous and bewitching folk ballads of the San Francisco singer-songwriter was pure magic, and it is equally evocative to be able to listen to this involuntary artistic testament. It is a record that, in addition to a song recorded shortly before the author's death, “Wolf Run”, includes other recordings from 2025: two poems recovered from the archives (“Rooftops Of San Francisco” and “Rose Of Sharon”), a more recent song left in the drawer (“Sun In Scorpio”) and a cover of a song by Adrianne Lenker (“Stay (I Want You To Stay)”).
The key to understanding “Dream Me A Dream”, however, is not that of an old artist grappling with the last remnants of fame, what prevails is a youthful and daring spirit. The feeling is that Zimmerman intended to seize the opportunity offered by his recording comeback to experiment with that interaction with electronics already mentioned in the past, but with all the awareness of the maturity he had achieved.
More than a real album, the album presents itself as a collection of poetic fragments and potential sonic impulses that remains in the balance, without however losing a shred of charm or intensity. The velvety space-rock atmospheres based on moog and synthesizers of “Sun In Scorpio” and the rhythmic pulsation of the keyboards of “Rose Of Sharon” are exemplary of an unusual instrumental approach. Even when the tone becomes purely poetic and recitative, the caressing melodies and ethereal electronic solutions blend magically, as in “Riding Around In My Dreams” recited by Marie-Claire.
It is in the always cultured country-folk nature of the compositions that Zimmerman's true lyrical power lies. Songs like “Cross Walk” and “Wolf Run” do not fear the wear and tear of time and make the dramatic death of the two spouses even sadder.
“Dream Me A Dream” is an easy album to love, the songs are like barely mentioned dreams, sketches of everyday life framed by a few notes of guitar and electronics in a delicate background, while the violin and the banjo sometimes peek out (the title track).
Heartfelt folk ballads (“Lovers Of Beggars St.”) and unusual pop-folk numbers, which could easily be part of a Magnetic Fields album (“Rooftops Of San Francisco”), follow one another with evocative instrumental pieces (“Orion Comes Down To Walk The Land”). Everything flows with disarming frankness and a faint bewilderment that hold together a work that leaves many questions unanswered, but also offers interesting answers. A record perhaps not essential, but absolutely necessary.
03/07/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
