"The Dream" by The Favors: A Review

Finneas from The Favors. Photo courtesy of Bruce Baker via Wikimmedia Commons.

On June 2, in a post on Instagram, The Favors announced the band’s formation and debut album titled “The Dream,” along with the release date of their first single. The Favors, a collaboration between artists FINNEAS and Ashe, came as a surprise to fans, with no prior hints at this group’s existence. 

FINNEAS, mainly known for his frequent collaboration with his sister, Billie Eilish, has his own solo career spanning three albums, including songs like “Break My Heart Again,” “Let’s Fall In Love For The Night” and “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” Additionally, he worked on several of the songs for Disney’s “Turning Red.” 

Ashe, mainly known for her 2021 hit song “Moral of the Story,” has released four albums, including songs like “Another Man’s Jeans,” “Love Is Letting Go” and “Save Myself.” She has recently returned after a year-long hiatus with her first independent album, “Wilson.”

The album features two other members: California-based artist Marinelli and frequent collaborator with FINNEAS, Ricky Gourment, both of whom will be joining FINNEAS and Ashe on their upcoming tour for the album.

The two have collaborated before, with FINNEAS producing “Moral Of The Story” by Ashe and featuring on Ashe’s song, “Til Forever Falls Apart.”

The album starts with “Restless Little Heart,” a short introduction track filled with lush piano, strings and harmonies, introducing the common theme of heartbreak throughout the album. 

This song sets the stage to be immediately contradicted by the next and title track, “The Dream.” A drum and bass opener mixing the feeling of a previous relationship with the attempts to make it in the music industry as an outsider.

“The Little Mess You Made” was the first single released for the album. Unlike the previous tracks, this upbeat duet gives both artists separate verses in order to shine individually as vocalists, perfect for a track about a couple struggling to make up after a fight that comes crashing down in the final verse.

“The Hudson” was the second single released for the album. Built upon a repeating piano progression, this song breaks the pattern of the previous song by showing two lovers attempting to make up in a relationship that only seems to fail. 

“Ordinary People,” a shorter minute and a half track that marks the middle of the album, takes a more jazzy inspiration with more complex strings and brushed drums. A continuation of “The Hudson," the song follows a couple that’s truly trying to make things right. 

“Necessary Evils” has a much somber tone, continuing the growing older of “Moonshine” about the fears of having a partner die and how the best way to avoid all pain within a relationship would be to never love at all. Built on a slow string of the first track with the rock tone of tracks like “Moonshine” and “The Dream,” the sound is reminiscent of Pink Floyd and their spacy, psychedelic tracks.

“Times Square Jesus” was the last single released before the album. Built upon an acoustic guitar strumming and plucking with backup strings, this song stings of a former couple that still have feelings for each other, but can’t be together anymore due to new relationships. The instrumentation and lack of resolution bring this heartache to the forefront of the audience's attention.

“Someday I’ll Be Back In Hollywood” brings fellow member Marinelli to the forefront. He introduces indie rock guitar sounds that complement the familiar songs of the rest of the album, with vocal harmonies from The Favors. This track seems most reminiscent of Ashe’s hiatus after her second album, moving out of California and back home to grow up, before eventually returning to the limelight.

The last track of the album is “Home Sweet Home,” which features a disco-inspired sound that seems to restart the cycle of the couple being unable to truly ever let each other go, ending the album on a happy-sounding, but once again unresolved note.

The album ends with a short music video teaser that was released with the announcement of the band, teasing the first single “The Little Mess You Made.”

The album feels like a true throwback to the sounds of classic rock, with a focus on the duet songs that make this album feel ageless despite being recently released.