Jim Campilongo has been releasing albums for close to a decade. He is now recognized as one of the better and most creative guitarists on the music scene today. His latest album, Dream Dictionary, was released January 21st.
He is usually known for his aggressive style, but he moves in a very different direction with his latest release. It is a very laidback affair. Backed by drummer Josh Dion and bassist Chris Morrissey, he settles into a groove, but there is less fire than there has been on many of his previous albums.
Campilongo is at his best when he explores melodies with such tracks as “Heaven Is Creepy” and the title tune. On the other hand, songs such as “Suppose” and “Tony Mason” find him doodling with little sense of direction. Another issue is that the bass is turned up too loud on a number of the tracks, which detracts from his guitar playing.
Jim Campilongo has consistently demonstrated that he is an expert guitarist. Unfortunately, 
Dream Dictionary does not live up to that accolade. If you want to explore his music, there are a number of better starting points.