Richmond, Virginia’s Dream World follows up their 2024 demo cassette with their debut vinyl, a self-titled LP for Sorry State Records. While Dream World’s songs feature more than enough tom-heavy drumming and shouted, martial vocals to land them firmly within the neo-anarcho-punk scene, what sets the band apart is their commitment to the eclecticism that made the 80s UK anarcho scene so exciting. A ripper like “Yes Man” or the brooding, Killing Joke-via-Amebix-style “Oligarch’s Reality” will get the punks moving, but songs like “Never Ends” and the standout “Submission” show Dream World isn’t afraid of an infectious rock riff; the latter track’s propulsive power chords wouldn’t be out of place on Nirvana’s Incesticide. And then there’s “Soft Rains,” another outlier track built around guitar arpeggios that morph gracefully between creepy, menacing, and gentle, and when the spoken vocals (adapted from a poem by early 20th century American poet Sara Teasdale) come in, it’s a dead ringer for something off Slint’s monumental Spiderland. It’s rare to compare a band to both Amebix and Slint, but Dream World’s organic, eclectic take on punk consistently defies easy comparison and categorization.

Dream World’s self-titled LP is presented in a limited edition of 300 copies with screen printed jackets featuring a stunning new illustration from artist Thomas Sara (Public Acid, Cicada) on the front and a companion piece from Dream World bassist Spazzy on the back.