Bob Spring “American Dream” (Independent, 2020)

Many would wonder why a non-American artist, in this case, Bob Spring From Switzerland would even come up with an album called ‘American Dream,’ let alone claim it is Americana music. Frankly, they should stop wondering. Americana as a musical genre has now become something of a worldwide phenomenon. After all, it is supposed to be a cross-genre phenomenon. So from that point of view, Bob Spring and his ‘American Dream’ fit in without a problem.

Actually, they fit in from quite a few other aspects too. First of all, Spring has some American roots, if that should matter at all. Secondly, he has been around for a while so this album is actually his tenth release. All Americana, if that matters either. Thirdly, he went to the roots – as he toured the U.S. covering venues from bars to venues like Nashville’s The Basement.

But the key is in the fact that all of the above have actually led to the fact that ‘American Dream’ is a full-fledged Americana album that is truly worth a listen. Musically, Spring makes all the right moves and with ease at that. You get the feeling he has got the soul of the genre right in his bones. It probably has something to do with the fact that he has a goods songwriting knack, straightening the edges where he should, and leaving them rough at exactly at the right places, both evident in songs like ‘Solitude Mountain.’

“The title has nothing to do with disguised patriotism and should be understood much more as a metaphor and not as a political statement,” says Spring, and he proves it in his thought-out, but at the same time understated lyrics.

But what Spring ultimately proves with the ‘American Dream’ is that authentic Americana can crop up anywhere. But only if it is good enough, that is.