Byron Lee Scott Delivers via Harmony Dreamers Project

Few musical artists today boast the same expansive vision that Byron Lee Scott brings to bear with his Harmony Dreamers project. He’s sought out singers, percussionists, and bass players from all across the world to join him as a sort of world orchestra determined to offer the planet a way out of its current conundrum through community and musical positivity. It may not be a viable or practical path, in the end, but hearing musicians and vocalists from around the world attesting, directly and indirectly, of their abiding hope and belief in life

Don’t be worried though. There’s no sloganeering present in I Come from Earth’s songs, that’s for sure – it’s thoughtful and often unadulterated fun. The title song kicks things off falling squarely into the latter camp with its slightly delirious musical backing, compelling percussion, and brittle yet effective guitar. Scott proves himself as a musician often over the course of this release and comes charging out of the gate with this example of his guitar prowess.

He tempers his approach with the music of later songs. There’s a semi-strident rock edge present in songs such as “No Stopping”, but Scott maintains much of the project’s direction tilted towards a strong vocal and melodic presentation. He gives the songs often electronic surroundings, never anything too heavy or garish, and the supporting vocal harmonies, invariably female, nicely top off many of the songs.

“Sophie and Pearl” deserves particular mention. It’s a fun song about an unexpected subject and the childlike joy you may experience listening to it contributes to the song’s sleeper standing. Incorporating clarinet, as well, is an unexpected addition. The cross-section of nationalities as well as cultures doesn’t present any obvious roadblocks for the Harmony Dreamers project and nor does the remote, but necessary, nature of the recording.

Scott achieves a “global” voice with these songs. You certainly hear that in later album tracks such as the varied epic “Spinning Round the Sun” and also the track “Free Way”. The former is an outstanding example of how songwriting ambition can be turned to good effect rather than dragging an album into self-indulgent waters. “Free Way” has some of the more expansive sonic properties implied by the song title and more than a little of its unfettered license to explore. The entirety of the album is alive with the sense of musical possibility and it’s by the end of I Came from Earth that it begins dawning on us what an impressive listening experience this is.

It isn’t difficult to imagine that he’s just getting started. Many listeners will long to hear the results of the first opportunity he has to take the material in a studio consummate to his skills and aspirations. The full effect of the Harmony Dreamers album is dampened somewhat because of the DIY nature of the recording but, in the end, it’s a lock to place it up against the best in terms of songwriting quality. The thrilling and scary thing is that he sounds ready to do this again – bigger and bolder than before. 

Timothy Ball