The anthemic actualization of Tiny the Dream
Immersed in a sea of azure spheres with Suzanne Bonifacio; press photo courtesy of Jeanette Chwan.
The creative process can be a vicious cycle. The lines of perception and frenzies of focus can come to a panic stricken head when the artist/auteur/author/et alia endures the psychic stresses of self-conscious second guessing that comes with the instinctive onset of doubt. The vision experienced by the creator undergoes intense scrutiny, re-examining every aspect of the impetus and execution whilst in the throes of anxiety over how the work will later be perceived and received by the public’s consumption. The anguish toils inward as the individual becomes their worst critic, all but self-sabotaging the ambitious extents of their passionate dreams. This in turn can stir up countless revisions until at last a certain peace is achieved in the arrival of a finished piece, or at the very least a working draft.
Beyond the battles shines unique statements of purpose, earnest intent, and painting of portraits and landscapes that call to mind new characters and universes that are both familiar and totally new. The processes of agony v. ecstasy conflicts are tenets of the tortured artist paradigm, where the outlines, sketches, drafts, models, and the like are brutally compared to antithetical criteria for which the piece is to be judged. The point in which the concern for the audience’s response at large is abandoned in the name of sticking with the initial thesis and body of the work itself: it is then when something incredible gains a new life. When the considerations that are strictly external are cast aside, the anxious energy that was previously tied up in obsessive overthought can be channeled into outlets that have possibly never before been explored.
Thus is the nature of the new EP The Cycle from Buffalo, NY DIY pop visioners Tiny the Dream. Lead by chief dreamer Suzanne Bonifacio with the band of Adam Pressley, Andrew Esposito, along with Mike Fridmann and Jon Fridmann; the group delivers their biggest, and boldest sound yet. The EP arrives just in time to save us from from the summer sorrow of international instability, shaky/broken societal infrastructures, communities in crisis, and all the regressive trends that sit contrary to reason and sense. The Cycle sends us through the mesmerizing loop-de-loops of spiraling states of mind, and the manic roller roasters of the reckoning and ratification of our own humanity. The four song cycle finds Bonifacio navigating through the tenebrous, and labyrinthine catacombs of existence that arrives at points of pure actualization of the creative spirit.
Blasting the iron gates of self-doubt off its rusted hinges is the sky high wonder of "Cute Anthem". Synced up seasonally to be the ultimate song of the sunny solstice amid record breaking heatwaves, Tiny the Dream magnifies the light that seeps in through the radiating ultraviolet rays that shine through the cracks of our increasingly corrosive global climates. The big production of "Cute Anthem" is perfectly styled to take center stage at any amphitheater or any festival in the world. Bonifacio's meditations can be heard and felt through the contemplative thought streams of "I Get It". Monologues we share with ourselves and the dialogues we have with cherished loved ones that are sensitive to our most privy vulnerabilities all sail through the waters of inquisitive inequities. These overwhelming washes of thought further play out in the softly strummed strings of the title track that moves through the mysterious and moody cisterns of candle lit cantations.
The pastoral paeans of pensive prayers are bookended by larger than life songs that reach upward toward celestial frequencies. Just as "Anthem" brings about the EP's triumphant opening, "Time Heals Some" sends up those closely guarded sentiments in a canon burst of cathartic bombast that burns brightly in the northeastern skies. Suzanne presents ballads and odes to what we hold on to, what things we let go of, what still remains with the passage of time and how we can break the cycles of cynicisms and standing in our own way in order to get to better places of peace, and an ultra-engaged tier of mindfulness that holds the power and fortitude to move mountains.
The pointed pensive pop thought streams of Tiny the Dream’s Suzanne Bonifacio in a balloon world of blue; press photo courtesy of Jeanette Chwan.
Suzanne Bonifacio provided the following insightful reflections on the new EP:
The Cycle hits on a time I’d been writing more about my own process and frustrations through this music thing. The tracks “The Cycle” and “Time Heals Some” reflect on a time I was trying to move past letting go of my last project, but I realize now that the echos of that reality come from this cycle I put myself through that involves writing music, letting it go, and wondering if its reached anyone.
It’s the cycle of trying, failing, and sometimes taking a really long time to move on or maybe never moving on. Like a wound never fully healing. This is reflected in;
“Time heals some and sometimes it peaks its little head up. Time heals some and sometimes it rips off the Band-Aid. Time heals some and sometimes I push through a window.”
It’s the ebb and flow of feeling like you’ve moved past something but then, as a friend once reminded me, we always have flare-ups. My flare-up is going through the process of making something and then dealing with my own perceptions of failure on the other side. I spin through this almost everyday and if you asked my partner, he would also confirm these demons in me.
Some people think that this is what keeps us driven, but screw that, I want to get to the point where I always make music for its own sake. I keep going with it somehow, perhaps because music was my first love and making something is what makes me feel alive. I feel that on a good day at least. It’s taken me a long time to even recognize this viscerally. That the peace is in the times we are actually making the art happen and that doubt is always waiting when we’re not doing the thing and even when we are.
What I want anyone who hears this EP to take from it is that no matter where we’re at, we always deal with some real self-doubt. No one, even successful people are immune to this. We think people have it all together but no one does and social media has successfully created the reality that we do. I really want to bring my raw self to the table and even in this little write-up. I suppose that’s what I have to give. One more thing… “Cute Anthem” is the one track that cracks my code, getting me back here for presence, love, sharing, connection. It really is what it’s all about.
The Cycle from Tiny the Dream will be available June 23 via Bandcamp.