Paul Cullen
Dreamdance

Review By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
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  After listening to Paul Cullen's new release Dreamdance I had a hard time envisioning him as the former bass player for the rock legends Bad Company. He has an interesting story; after departing from the band in the early 90s he decided to take control of his career, taught himself how to play guitar and took singing lessons, and here we are with an appealing solo album that grabbed me right from the first track. I cannot speak for everyone, but that's the way this CD affected me and I suspect there will be many other listeners that will feel the same way. Right from the first cut I felt relaxed and enchanted, and I was able to hold on to that feeling until the album concluded.

The title cut has you dream dancing on the clouds with its airy backdrop of keyboards, guitar and rhythm. Cullen has a smooth and pleasing voice; he soothingly invites you into his world with a lucid and succinct vocal style. He sings about women and love, a subject that never seems to wear out its welcome. If you're a hopeless romantic, and whether you show it or not, this kind of album is something to play when you want to get closer to your partner and become intimate, allowing the music to guide you down that path.

Different styles get a workout on this CD. Cullen explores elements of jazz and Latin blended with calming pop for an uplifting adult contemporary sound. "Dreamdance", "And We Danced" and "Sometimes" would be my choices for airplay if I were a DJ and had first crack at this CD. "And We Danced" and "Sometimes" have hard to ignore hooks running through them and Cullen does a great job with his vocals by getting in total sync with music that is just as catchy and attention-grabbing. There are some nice acoustic guitar runs throughout this recording, particularly with the Latin jazz flavor in the tracks. This one exacting element is predominant as the pop weaves its way through to give each song an exceptional balance and appeal that will reach out grab a varied group of listeners.

This is "curl up by the fire with a glass of wine" music and the cover does a good job suggesting that you do just that, and you know what? I think it will work.

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