Album Review: "The Dream" - The Favors

Ashley Adams
Sep 25
6 min read

The Dream is the debut album from the newly formed supergroup The Favors, created by the very talented previously collaborated singers and musicians Ashe and FINNEAS.

Restless Little Heart
The Dream
Moonshine
The Little Mess You Made
The Hudson
Ordinary People
Necessary Evils
Times Square Jesus
David's Brother
Lake George
Someday I'll Be Back in Hollywood (with Marinelli)
Home Sweet Home

FINNEAS was and is his sister Billie Eilish's producer before releasing his debut solo album Optimist in October 2021. Two years before, Ashe's breakout single "Moral of the Story" was produced and co-written by FINNEAS and Eilish. With Ashe and FINNEAS's collaborative musical history, it makes sense that they would eventually come together and make a full-length LP of their own. The Dream is a concept album following the travel to different states to escape a painful breakup of a relationship that the singers don't want to end. The singing, storytelling, and musical abilities of Ashe and FINNEAS are perfectly displayed on each track in this alternative pop and rock project.

Restless Little Heart
Before the title track comes a short introduction song, “Restless Little Heart”, filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies that radiate throughout. As you hear FINNEAS and Ashe’s vocals for the first time on the album, you can already tell that, without a doubt, their vocal chemistry is perfect. “Restless Little Heart” is also a nod to how Ashe has two introduction tracks on two of her solo albums, Rae and Willson.
The Dream
You can hear Eilish say “F**k it up” at the very start of “The Dream” before the production begins, which is bass guitar-filled and has unique jazzy drum instrumentation. As the verse progresses, The Favors’s singing gets more and more intense before it jumps into the powerful chorus, where the guitars and drums are even more intensified. Through incredible singing, the lyrics detail a story of someone who was living the typical Los Angeles lifestyle, but then left and is now reminiscing on what they once had, and how their past relationship truly is symbolic of that. The Favors say that this situation is common and many people that leave LA go through something like this.
Moonshine
A jazzy bar rock song is the third track of The Dream. As moonshine is an old drink, The Favors describe an older person that is suffering from a disease like Alzheimer’s or symptoms that could indicate they have dementia. They go over the aging process, as the time takes away or brings upon different things, such as memory, being in a nursing home, or having “lines on your face”. Although a noticeably different style to “The Dream”, they both possess the same progressions, where, as the song goes on, the production gets stronger and more exceptional, which can be defined as FINNEAS’s signature sound and approach to music production.
The Little Mess You Made
In the leading single of the album, “The Little Mess You Made”, piano notes and more guitar chords, with prominent bass ones, are combined to create a distinct yet nostalgic sound. The harmonies on each chorus are ethereal; we already know Ashe and FINNEAS sound amazing together, but hearing them simultaneously for each track brings upon a new feeling each time. The lyrics seem to point to a relationship that has gone sour, where even the small things that go bad start to make you realize that you and this person aren’t meant to be together anymore. The feelings of distress that are brought by this are directed towards the passionate vocals that are found throughout the song, but especially towards the end.
The Hudson

When The Favors belted out the line “You’ll never see me again” on “The Little Mess You Made”, they meant they were heading across the country to a state where the lyrics of warmer weather and Hollywood stars in the previous tracks of The Dream oppose it. In this gradually building ballad, although the relationship has ended, Ashe and FINNEAS can’t help but sing “I’ll walk the Hudson back to you”, as there are definitely still feelings of love that were left and weren’t properly addressed. As Ashe and FINNEAS are from the west coast, they’re not used to the environment New York has to offer, which is symbolic in not being used to not being in the relationship.

Ordinary People

The sixth track serves as a lyrical continuation of the fifth, where The Favors want to get back together with their former significant others, even though it may not fully seem right. “Ordinary People” is a slow tempo jazz interlude that contains Ashe and FINNEAS’s beautiful vocal harmonies yet again.

Necessary Evils

Following “Ordinary People” is another track of slow tempo where the lyrics match in the storyline of The Dream. The Favors go more in depth about why this relationship is as complicated as it is, and that even though its not perfect, they want to reignite their love because they can’t imagine living without their significant others. The track is titled “Necessary Evils” because they know there are certain things they have to get past in order for the relationship to thrive, which are the bad parts. Even though this details an unhealthy relationship dynamic, they are blinded by the love they have and can’t see this.

Times Square Jesus

The title of the song “Times Square Jesus” refers to when people in Times Square, New York dress up as different characters, including Jesus. As this is just a man dressed up as him, it symbolizes that Ashe and FINNEAS don’t believe in religion, and only believe in love instead. They would rather believe in the relationships they have that they know are real and can physically and emotionally see. The eighth track of the album is an orchestral ballad that features a soft drum beat, making it a very distinct and emotionally driven sound, incorporating themes of love and rejecting religion with a unique production style.

David’s Brother

An upbeat alt-pop and rock track filled with fun guitar chords and drums, “David’s Brother” details how life has got The Favors down through symbolism of the worst things that could happen to you, such as being “under house arrest”. The aforementioned relationship may have not worked at all like they were hoping and are back at square one with their emotions. The title of the song references someone that brings up strong feelings while going through this rough time. The song ends with an outro of just piano chords and Ashe and FINNEAS’s separated vocals, showing they are both extraordinary singers together and apart.

Lake George

The Favors go to a different time zone again, but this time to the Sunshine State, where the weather and overall vibes are the complete opposite of New York, but it’s still not California, which is where the relationship began. This is symbolic because they want to experience the relationship again but don’t actually want to be in it because it didn’t work out. In this piano ballad, Ashe and FINNEAS sing about these exact feelings, and that they will do anything so they can stop having them. Having them brings them great distress and only reminds them of what they once had with their former significant others but, to their misfortune, cannot have anymore.

Someday I’ll Be Back in Hollywood (with Marinelli)

Marinelli takes the reins on the penultimate track of The Dream, using it as an interlude and diary entry for himself. After experiencing fame, he is now experiencing the downside of it that no one warns you about, which is when you lose traction in your career and it no longer becomes a viable source of income. The loss of attention and financial struggles make this a scary and frustrating experience, which he perfectly describes lyrically, vocally, and production-wise in “Someday I’ll Be Back in Hollywood”. Despite his current struggles, he still has hope that his music career will make a comeback and he can return to what he loves and knows best.

Home Sweet Home

The final track of The Dream features a funky and jazzy beat as The Favors mention “New York” and “California”, which is two of the states the storyline for this album took place. The lyrics summarize all of the tracks perfectly and serve as a satisfying conclusion that finishes the storyline as Ashe and FINNEAS come to terms with their former relationships. They understand that they can’t be in them, but they’re still always open to revisiting them one day. For now, however, they need to focus on themselves and their lives, wherever they may be in the world.

After listening to "Moral of the Story" for the first time in 2019, Ashe instantly became one of my favorite artists, and I've loved listening to all of her albums, as she is an incredible musician. Listening to Billie Eilish since 2016 also means I've been listening to FINNEAS, as he does the background vocals and production for all of her songs. When two flawless artists come together to make music, you can't help but listen. The Dream is a perfect example of this, as talent, passion, and musical perfection radiates throughout each song. The Dream is nothing but than a work of art.

Written By Ashley Adams

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