In his music, Philadelphia-based songwriter Amos Lee often explores emotional terrain. The singer-songwriter draws on a broad range of musical influences, including country, folk, R&B, soul and gospel, but his songs tend to veer toward the introspective and the observational, with lyrics that can be painful but also profoundly revealing.
Throughout his career, Amos has used his music as a way to build bridges, connecting with others through his music while highlighting his own journey in vulnerable and meaningful ways. Whether it’s opening up about his experience of the Covid pandemic in 2016’s Spirit or his most recent album My New Moon, Lee has always made music that seeks to help listeners heal and find comfort, particularly as a result of mental health challenges.
On his eighth studio album, 2022’s Dreamland, the songwriter takes the approach even further. The result is an ethereal collection of eleven tracks that see Lee veering further inward, chronicling his own struggles with anxiety and isolation and shedding light on the current state of our nation’s mental health crisis.
The album opens with the hushed and deeply moving title track, which is also a strong lead single, accompanied by a gorgeous piano melody and Lee’s soulful vocals. The song’s lyrics “Worry no more / I’ll be the one who holds you up” are a reminder that even when we feel alone, there are others who can support us and that there is a way to turn things around. Produced by Christian “Leggy” Langdon, the 11-track sonic canvas reflects Lee’s ongoing desire to create healing space.
