Derek Grant - Love Is A Bad Dream [Digital] (Cover Artwork)
Staff Review

Derek Grant

Love Is A Bad Dream [Digital] (2014)

Red Scare Industries


Derek Grant, drummer of Alkaline Trio, has put out a single for his solo side project on Red Scare. He apparently will be releasing a full length later this year. Don't expect his sound to mimic or be related to Alkaline Trio's sound. If this single gives us any clue as to what the full length will sound like you will see that it is completely different from Alkaline Trio's material.

"Love Is A Bad Dream" is a very soft and slow sounding song. It is heavily reliant on acoustic guitars with some non-distorted electric guitar fills. The main guitar riff is almost haunting, yet calm and it compliments the dark lyrics well: "When I sleep it makes me want to scream/When I wake, love's a bad, bad dream." There's also a pretty rockin' acoustic guitar solo that you don't hear too often from a punk rock artist.

The other song on this single is called "Don't Marry Me." Don't expect this song to sound like Alkaline Trio either. It's very heavy on the piano and synthesizer that play over a mildly distorted guitar. And Derek sings in kind of a raspy whisper. It sounds like a pop-rock song from the mid-1980s. It's interesting to hear a take on a sound like that in 2014.

Is this the most "punk" single ever? No. Derek clearly went in another direction and arguably another sub-genre altogether. Fans of Alkaline Trio will probably be really interested to hear this single and the album when it is released. For those of you who don't follow Alkaline Trio that much, this may not be for you if you are looking for the next big thing to mosh to at a show.