Alice Boman - Dream On (LP) - Yellow Transparent Vinyl

Alice Boman writes songs that feel like they were whispered to you in the kitchen after midnight, when the city has gone quiet and the fridge hum is the loudest thing in the room. Dream On, her debut album, arrived in January 2020 on PIAS, and it delivers that late-hour intimacy with a careful hand. The Swedish songwriter first drew attention with hushed home recordings that sounded almost too fragile to touch, but here she opens the window a little wider. The air is still cold and clear, as if coming off the streets of Malmö in winter, yet the room has warmed with new textures and gentle rhythm.

The first thing that stands out is how patient the record is. Boman does not rush to the hook or fling the chorus at you. She lets the piano and synths pool around her voice, then adds soft percussion like someone tapping the side of a mug. “Wish We Had More Time” works exactly like that. It is a slow ache, her vocal floating over a bed of keys that seem to exhale rather than ring. The effect is hypnotic, but never sleepy. It is the kind of song that changes the pace of your day, even if you only planned to put it on while making coffee.

Her earlier EPs were famously recorded at home on simple gear, which gave them a ghostly charm. Dream On keeps that spirit but brings in more detail. When “The More I Cry” blooms, you can hear light synth lines tracing the melody and a drum pulse that nudges forward. It is still spare, but there is a subtle sense of structure and space that comes from taking these songs into a proper studio environment. None of it distracts from the voice. Boman sings with a softness that suggests secrecy and a determination that keeps the songs from floating away.

“Don’t Forget About Me” is a quiet highlight. The lyric looks simple on the page, a plea written in clean lines, but the arrangement gives it weight. Piano, a faint throb of bass, and a distant harmony wrap around the vocal like a held breath. She is a master of small choices. A single descending figure, a few seconds of near silence before the chorus, the way the reverb is there but never washes her out. Those are the decisions that separate mood music from music that sticks.

It is hard not to think about place when listening to Dream On. The record has the soft grayscale tones of a Scandinavian morning, but it also feels universal, a private conversation that travels well. That might explain why Boman’s work has resonated beyond Sweden over the years, finding quiet corners in playlists and soundtracks and people’s living rooms. The album plays front to back with a graceful flow, no big detours, just a gentle walk through solitude, memory, and the small rituals that keep those two things from swallowing you whole.

If you are hunting for Alice Boman vinyl, this is the one that rewards a late-night spin. The production leaves so much room for air that the needle picks up little details you might miss on your commute. Dream On vinyl has that slow-bloom quality that makes you want to flip it and start again as soon as the side ends. Whether you buy Alice Boman records online or pick them up locally, this is a record you keep within arm’s reach. You might even find yourself recommending it to friends who think they only like big, anthemic records. There is a strong case here for the opposite approach.

There is no filler, just a carefully sequenced set that trusts small gestures. Piano and synths carry most of the load, with occasional strings and light percussion that arrive like passing weather. Boman never raises her voice, yet she never fades into the wallpaper. That balance is the album’s trick, and it is a rare one. If you are flipping through bins in a Melbourne record store or browsing vinyl records Australia wide, put this near the top of your list of Alice Boman albums on vinyl. Dream On is unhurried and tender, but it also feels assured, like a quiet friend who always knows what to say.