Black Star Presents...:
Teenage Waitress - Upstairs To Finish A Dream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel Ash, the creative force behind Teenage Waitress, is set to release his third studio album, Upstairs to Finish a Dream. Following the acclaim of his previous albums, Love & Chemicals and Your Cuckoo, this new record marks an ambitious departure into more introspective and conceptual territory, courtesy of Ash’s longstanding partnership with producer and contributor Michael Bissett.

​

“I wanted this album to feel like a private conversation between the listener and the music itself," Ash explains. “It’s something you get lost in - a space for one person at a time. It’s not a party record; I love Led Zep 4 as much as the next guy, but this is an album for the lonely hours.”

 

Drawing inspiration from Berlin-era Bowie, McCartney II, The Twilight Zone, and the writings of Richard Brautigan, Upstairs to Finish a Dream offers a cinematic and immersive listening experience.

 

The album’s intricate production and textured arrangements invite listeners to engage deeply, revealing new layers with each play.

 

The album features upcoming singles “Blue Tick Burning,” and “Disconnect” which both situate Ash’s flair for immaculate and irresistible melodies in more adventurous contexts. It’s not unusual for songs on the record to take scenic detours from blue-eyed soul, lite-prog, synth-rock and chamber-pop as it gets from point A to B. The album’s centerpiece, “Maybe It’s Love” builds to a relentless crescendo of harmonized guitar leads with manic energy, reminiscent of early Arctic Monkeys and King Crimson.

 

Ash’s evolution as a songwriter is evident throughout the album, with compositions that entwine simplicity with sophistication à la Todd Rundgren; ELO. The record’s genre-defying character places it within the realms of 1990s alternative pop rock, space rock, and 1970s AOR.