Blindness & Light’s sophomore album, I Dreamt I Had Insomnia, is a raucous, soul-baring ride through the gritty underbelly of human spirit. Hailing from a scattered UK collective of 10 musicians, this album crackles with the raw energy of post-punk defiance, the kind that makes you wanna start a riot in your living room, mixed with a DIY attitude that screams “screw the system!” At the helm of this musical madhouse, Colin M. Potter, the band’s driving force doesn’t so much sing as he does howl at the moon; he exorcizes demons, backed by a ragtag crew of sonic alchemists who turn angst into anthems. Buckle up—this is rock ‘n’ roll with teeth.
Now, forget everything you know about “normal” bands. Blindness & Light is a loose-knit mob of musicians stretching from Anglesey to North Yorkshire, united by a burning hatred for anything that smells like rules and a raging hard-on for the beautiful chaos of the Velvet Underground. Colin M. Potter—singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter—anchors the chaos with his gravelly vocals. Helen Reynolds, the band’s secret weapon, layers 7 (out of 8) tracks with haunting backing vocals that feel like a ghostly echo to Potter’s growl. Then there’s Henry Priestman, the post-punk legend (The Christians, Yachts), who slings melodica on All On You like a mad scientist adding spice to a Molotov cocktail.
The lineup’s fluidity is their strength. Bass duties rotate between Chris Hall, Paul McConnell, Rob Griffiths, and Melisa Dopazo, each injecting their own groove—from the snarling low-end on Lament To A Fading Dream to the jazzy cornet flourishes (courtesy of Helena Doughty) on Shards. Drummer Glenn Welman hammers the backbone on most tracks, while Junior Dayvis’s backing vocals on All On You add a gritty choir-of-the-damned vibe. This isn’t a band; it’s a revolution.
Recorded on windswept Anglesey and polished in Germany’s Outback Studios, I Dreamt I Had Insomnia is a tribute to the scuzzy clubs of ’80s Liverpool and Manchester. Opener Butterfly kicks off with a jangly guitar riff that’s Johnny Marr and Lou Reed, building into a soaring chorus—a theme that claws through the album. Potter snarls, “Don’t pull the wings off the butterfly, It’s done no harm to you,” while Reynolds’ harmonies lift the track into the stratosphere. Mersey Bell is a standout—a bass-heavy, swaggering ode to disillusionment, with McConnell’s throbbing bassline and Potter’s wit (“See the lights, they shine for you, The Mersey bell it rings for you”). Then there’s Shards, where Dopazo’s bass slinks alongside Doughty’s cornet, creating a noir-ish groove that’d make Nick Cave nod in approval. The band’s skills shine; they’ve ditched synthetic drums for Welman’s live kit, giving the album a visceral punch missing from their debut. But the real knockout is All On You. Priestman’s melodica weaves through a swampy, bass-driven riff, while Potter and Andy Gahan’s co-written lyrics spit venom at accountability. Dayvis’s backing vocals here are pure chaos, a choir of rebels screaming into the void. It’s messy, glorious, and unapologetically loud.
Potter’s lyrics are like reading someone’s booze-soaked diary. I Dreamt I Had Insomnia is a diary scrawled in whiskey and sweat, tackling liberation from personal ghosts. Your Solitude drips with melancholy, Potter crooning over a sparse, reverb-drenched arrangement. Love Redacted is a punk-fueled rant against faded romance, with Welman’s drums crashing like a heartbeat gone haywire. The album’s crown jewel, Letter To Future Generations, closes the set with a sprawling epic. Potter’s guitar howls like a storm warning as he addresses existential dread. It’s bleak but defiant, a middle finger wrapped in a melody.
Blindness & Light’s “total artistic freedom” is no ordinary slogan—it’s their superpower. I Dreamt I Had Insomnia thrives on its imperfections, its loose ends, and its refusal to play nice. Three #1 singles (All On You, Butterfly, Mersey Bell) proved they’ve got hooks, but this album digs deeper. Colin M. Potter calls songwriting “base-jumping for the soul,” and damn, does it show. This album isn’t only a collection of tracks—it’s a lifeline thrown into the void.
I Dreamt I Had Insomnia drops February 14th on CD, vinyl, and streaming. Grab the limited-edition colored wax on Bandcamp—and if you’re smart, snag a t-shirt. This band’s gonna leave stains. Go Blindness & Light.