The interesting thing about this album was not so much its release, but what it meant afterwards to people. The Northern Irish 1990s Pop/Dance group D:Ream became famous for their light and catchy tunes after this album release, which spawned seven singles from the album itself. Sure, this was a feat. However, after the release of the album, the group crashed into the messy world of politics when the Tony Blair-led New Labour Party of the UK extensively used their song, Things Can Only Get Better in the UK 1997 General Election, which they easily won. Notably, this put them at the forefront of British Music and culture, years after the album’s release. Therefore, this has somewhat of a historical necessity to be listened to and reviewed here, and so it should be. Produced by D:Ream and Tom Frederikse and recorded in various studios across the UK, it was released on 18 October 1993 to moderate commercial success at the time, although obviously the long-term importance of this album cannot be underestimated. Let’s listen to this album, and we shall hear where it is at.

1. Take Me Away begins with some moody strings, and some gloriously good backing vocals, alongside some other really clever and tasty musical arrangements. This quickly launches into an adventurous and very excellent 1990s-flavoured post-Acid House song that is really terrific. Peter Cunnah sings these songs, and he is the core of D:Ream. This sounds fantastic throughout, and the music is a sensational wonder to listen to. Very, very soulful and amazing to listen to. This is quite unlike anything else out there, and this music is about expressing emotional pain, at least on this track. A really solidly good listen, this music is a fantastic and spirited listen throughout. The mixture of superb lead vocals and amazing backing vocals over pumping EDM is a clever and near-perfect tune. It segues into the next song.

2. U R The Best Thing begins with some more soul vocals from female singers, and some fancy electronics and launches itself into a really sweet and melodic tune to listen to, complete with a flute part. Piano enters, and this tune is a real winner. The singing throughout by Peter Cunnah is really awesome, he sounds like evoking the spirit in a moody way that sounds sweet and inspiring. This is a good tune about finding true love, and the music is a real winner. D:Ream may have been a one-off project but like much of the EDM of the time, this is a sensationally intelligent and wonderful tune. A really lovely and tuneful piece of music that sounds extraordinarily good, this has some great and sensational music from within. D:Ream had some great tunes from within, which is exactly what great music is about. This song is a very pleasant and joyous listen, and the music still sounds fresh, polished and accomplished to this day. It seems quite clear that back in the 1990s, music was of a better quality and this makes Charli XCX’s 2024 Brat album sound like pure sonic garbage. This, in comparison, is definitely not. A xylophone part that sounds glistening is present towards the end of this epic winner. A great sonic masterwork of the 1990s, and something very memorable to listen to. A fantastic song.

3. Unforgiven begins with some gospel-like synth patches and some other eerie sounds. This is not as good as the first two tracks and instantly sounds like a missed opportunity. Still, it’s not outright bad but the darker imagery and sounds let down the flow of this album. Even so, this is a good listening experience about being rejected in a relationship. This rather Joy Division/New Order-sounding tune is okay but only okay. In any case, one can sit through this but one will be tempted to skip ahead at certain points on this album. Even so, this song is a different listen and sounds a bit like a video game soundtrack at the time, except for the fact that it is a Pop record. A really cool tune in its own way, even if it is quite disappointing to hear. Also, this needn’t have been over four minutes in length. It ends with some good bongo beats and fragments of sound, such as acoustic guitar and harmonica to conclude with.

4. I Like It is a lot better sounding, with some cool bongos and sound production, with a soulful female vocalist singing to a neo-Disco tune. A really cool tune with a grinding bassline, this sounds extremely cool and different to listen to. Hard to believe that this is likely to be considered political music, given the context of the album. It’s not. It sounds absolutely awesome, punchy and dramatically moving and powerful throughout. A really cool and great song that sounds really upbeat and nicely driven, this is a very sensual song, with some romantic and sexual overtones to it. A wonderful tune about being with the lady of the night, and it sounds really cool to hear. This was no doubt a song for many children of the 1990s to be conceived to. Nonetheless, this is a very cool and nicely driven song that sounds extremely good. A wonderful listen throughout. D:Ream had musical talent. It breaks down towards the end with a cool electronic patch, and some rather weird sexually based inclinations, before returning to the main tune. Fantastic.

5. Glorious is another piano-driven House Music styled piece that sounds melodic and excellent from the start. It has some sweet and groovy melodies and enters into another rather nicely layered and tripped-out tune that sounds like a million dollars. This is a smooth listen, perfect for that one-night stand with your lady/guy in your car. Nonetheless, even from a serious listening perspective, this is really cool and great to listen to. A superbly awesome and fantastic tune to listen to, this is a clear winner of a song. It sounds supercharged and really fantastic to listen to, and just sounds like a smooth and sensual joy to listen to. No real vocals are present, just glorious music to listen to, time and time again. These songs are, for the most part, absolute winners, and just sound really dynamic and fresh throughout. This music is a real joy to listen to. Even if this is to be considered a Pop/EDM album, it certainly has an awesome array of sounds to it, such as acoustic guitar in the second half of this. Sweet, it sounds like a phenomenal and energetic listen throughout. A really cool and lovely listen, this sounds absolutely gorgeous and powerful tune. Very, very cool and a good representation of what good music is about. It has some distorted foreign vocals, likely Spanish, at the end. Nice to hear. This is layered over some good electronics and singing.

6. So Long Movin’ On begins with some footsteps, birds chirping and the sound of car keys. This is presumably designed to be played in a car. It has organ and saxophone throughout before some great vocals enter. This sounds really dynamic, sensual and fantastic throughout. This is a song about a breakup in a romance, and it is one of the Joy Division/New Order-sounding tunes, but it has a lot more character than before. This has a touch of Disco Music about it, and it sounds really decent and refreshing, like a cocktail on the beach that you need in times of difficulty. A really sweet and different tune to listen to that sounds smooth and lovely. For music released back in 1993, this has a lot of staying power. A cool tune to listen to, although this song sounds rather dated today. Even so, this does have pure power and appeal throughout. A really smooth and sensual tune to listen to. Worth a listen, all the same. A really cool tune to hear and it fades out gently.

7. Picture My World begins with spacey synth strings and sounds sweet. It is a really cool listen from the start. Bongo beats and other sounds emerge, alongside electric piano. This quickly launches into a really cool and smooth tune that sounds superb and laidback. A really sweet and cool tune with some sweet and sensual vocals from our main man, this is yet another solidly good D:Ream piece. The music throughout is really intricate, lovely and gorgeous throughout, which sounds really sweet and good to listen to. Admittedly, this is a bit of a Disco tune (a contentious thing in itself in the music world) but it sounds solidly refreshing and wonderful throughout. A really cool and wonderful song with some lovely and warped sounds throughout, this is an absolute winner, like most of the rest of the album. This is a really sweet and powerful listening experience throughout which has many layers of tasty and delicious musical melodicism. A really great listen throughout. Worth it for this album. A sweet and sensual listening experience. It fades out with some glorious female vocals to conclude with at the end. Top.

8. Blame It On Me begins with the sound of rain, and some dark, eerie electronic sounds. It quickly launches into a good but not great piece of music that sounds out of place here. Eventually musical light pours in and we are underway. This is an album that, although has its moments, is fairly hit-and-miss throughout. Regardless, this is still listenable throughout and just sounds really sweet and cool in its own way. This is a more groove-based cut about loving and appreciating a partner’s beauty. A really interesting listen, although this is not as good as some of the music earlier on this album. In any case, the music present is smooth, sweet and magical in its own way. Good to hear, although not the absolute best from this album. It wraps up gradually with layered vocals reminiscent of Pink Floyd and fades into oblivion, with some symphonic sounds. Okay, but not fantastic.

9. Things Can Only Get Better is the New Labour theme song. It begins with some great vocals, piano and some other electronic sounds. One can hear exactly why this song was so loved, especially after its usage in the Tony Blair campaign. A very sensational and heartwarming listen which does not mention politics at all. It quickly launches into a terrific song about looking forward to the future with optimism and hope, rather than looking back to the past. A really cool and interesting song with a catchy and singalong chorus. Indeed, one can always look to the future with hope and inspiration rather than melancholy. A really fantastic tune to listen to and it has barely aged a jot. All in all, this does sound very wonderful and full of love, life, hope and inspiration. Great to hear, regardless of whether you know anything about the Third Way politics of New Labour or not. It’s not really a directly political song. It does sound danceable, fun and great, however. Very awesome to hear. It ends with some sensational singing and wraps up extremely nicely. Decent.

10. Star is the final track on this album. It begins with some stardust-styled sounds and some, quite frankly, bad electronics. The piano and strings are good here, though. This enters into a good song that sounds very Beatlesque and melodic throughout. A smooth and sweet-sounding piece of music that has passion and energy throughout. This does sound very, very Poppy throughout and is a really great and moving tune with some cool falsetto vocals and Pop textures to get you grooving. This is a good ending to a mostly decent album that has promise on many musical levels. Bongos then follow, and this tune sounds really sweet and fantastic. A really cool and awesome song that although doesn’t sound 100% original, does work very nicely indeed. A very enjoyable listen that, although has been largely forgotten today, sounds sweet and magical. It ends with some looped electronic beats and a ticking clock. Not highly original, but good.

This is a good album release that, admittedly, whilst having a few duff tracks on it, is so much more than just a New Labour manifesto of music. It is a great mixture of fresh sounds, layered production, musicality and a good musical combination of EDM, Pop and Disco with smooth soul vocals. This would be a perfect 1990s EDM album if there was a bit more quality control on the lesser-known cuts. Still, this is a very nice and interesting danceable listen from 1993. Should you listen to this album? If you don’t need to sit through the entire thing in one go and like a fresh take on 1990s EDM, this is a good listen for you. Country Music fans would absolutely loathe this music, however.

Good and worth listening to, even with its flaws.

7/10