TUCKER ZIMMERMAN - Dream Me A Dream

An object of admiration for David Bowie, revered by Adrianne Lenker and finally back on the scene thanks to the support of Big Thief, Tucker Zimmerman had just enough time to record two albums before fate tore him away from his renewed career. A fire devastated the songwriter's home, shared with his wife Marie-Claire, right when the two had gone back to writing and recording new poems and songs in their garden. A tragedy made all the more bitter in light of the recent release of the eleven tracks included on "Dream Me A Dream".

The success of "Dance Of Love" (2024) had reawakened interest in Zimmerman, allowing new generations to discover his talent as well. In the meantime, both the old recordings from the early 1970s ("I Wonder If I'll Ever Come True") and the collection of songs cut with Dave Evans ("Music By River Words By Ear") have been released.
Savouring the tremulous, enchanting folk ballads of the San Francisco songwriter once again was pure magic, and it's equally moving to hear this unwitting artistic testament. This is a record that, besides a track recorded shortly before the author's death, "Wolf Run", also includes other 2025 recordings: two poems retrieved 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 an Adrianne Lenker song ("Stay (I Want You To Stay)").

The key to reading "Dream Me A Dream", however, isn't that of an old artist grappling with the last scraps of fame - what prevails is a youthful, daring spirit. One gets the sense that Zimmerman meant to seize the opportunity offered by his return to recording to experiment further with the interplay with electronics he'd already hinted at in the past, but now with all the awareness of hard-won maturity.
More than a proper album, the record comes across as a collection of poetic fragments and potential sonic flights that remains suspended in mid-air, without losing an ounce of charm or intensity. The velvety, space-rock atmospheres built on moog and synthesizers in "Sun In Scorpio" and the pulsing keyboard rhythms of "Rose Of Sharon" exemplify an unusual instrumental approach. Even when the tone turns purely poetic and spoken-word, the caressing melodies and ethereal electronic touches blend together magically, as in "Riding Around In My Dreams", recited by Marie-Claire.

It's in the ever-cultured country-folk nature of the compositions that Zimmerman's true lyrical power resides. Tracks like "Cross Walk" and "Wolf Run" show no sign of wear and only make the tragic loss of the two spouses sadder still.
"Dream Me A Dream" is an easy record to love: the songs are like barely sketched dreams, vignettes of everyday life framed by a few guitar notes and electronics gently humming in the background, while violin and banjo occasionally peek through (the title track).
Heartfelt folk ballads ("Lovers Of Beggars St.") and unusual pop-folk numbers that could easily belong on a Magnetic Fields record ("Rooftops Of San Francisco") follow one another alongside evocative instrumental pieces ("Orion Comes Down To Walk The Land"). It all flows with disarming candour and a faint sense of bewilderment that hold together a work which leaves many questions hanging, while also offering some intriguing answers. A record that may not be essential, but is absolutely necessary.

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03/07/2026