Croak Dream [CD]

Croak Dream is a document of rebirth for Puma Blue, and a full realization of the project's musical and emotional potential. The third full-length from Jacob Allen feels nocturnal and ruminative - spanning the low-slung iridescence of trip-hop, the xx's moody rhythmic pop, and the stark intimacy of artists like Benjamin Booker and mark william lewis. The proper follow-up to 2023's Holy Waters, Croak Dream arrives after a period of reset and renewal. Written in the aftermath of a difficult tour and time spent focusing on mental health, the album reflects Allen's rediscovery of joy and experimentation. Recorded straight to tape at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios with Sam Petts-Davies (The Smile, Warpaint), the result is a living, breathing organism of sound that's both raw and beautifully intricate. Lyrically, Croak Dream explores sensuality, connection, and release - from the toxic aftermath of the title track to the foggy IDM of "Mister Lost" and the spectral ache of "Silently." It's Puma Blue in his most intimate and unguarded form: bold, liberated, and fully alive.