“The Dream” is the new limited edition single from Sunderland alt folk outfit Lilliput. The song tells the tale of a recurring nightmare beautifully; using earthen imagery to illuminate the contrast between reality and fantasy, fear and safety.

The five piece riff off The Beach Boys and particularly The Beatles with simple, sweet melodies and addictive hooks in spades but it’s their voices that steal the show time and time again. “The Dream” is no exception. Their harmonies are stunningly well layered throughout; lead vocalist Jamie, percussionist Joe, drummer Dan and bassist Josh sound like they were born to sing alongside one another.  We mean well when we say they look and sound like a barbershop quartet comprised of young men who honed their light and breezy harmonies huddled around a fire on skid row. Their deeply rooted love of folk music seeps out like sap from a great oak but there’s a distinctly bluesy feel to Jonathan Hibbert’s guitar lines: adding subtle variation and a groovier texture.

All in all, a quite remarkable piece of surreal, idyllic song-writing; the only downside is we’ll have to wait until their show in the stunning surroundings of Sunderland Minster later this month to get our hands on it.