Customer Reviews

Dreams of the Sun and Sky

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Fernando's "Dreams of the Sun and Sky" is both melodically enchanting and lyrically compelling. It is an amazingly beautiful album chalk full of etherial muse. Heartfelt songs paint a landscape from a tortured soul. Offering a lining of hope on a dreary February day. Fernando can tell a story and make you weep before engaging you in the sorrow and pain that encompasses his own soul-searching life. And I swear, the song Greenfields is about Luther Russell.

Hands down, best album of the year!

FERNANDO
Dreams of the Sun and Sky ( Domingo )

This second CD from Fernando (last name: Viciconte) has the feel of a song cycle. The instrumentation is both varied and subdued, favoring acoustic instruments, but also wisely and skillfully employing their electric brethren. Over the core of guitars, keyboards and a rhythm section, there are sympathetically arranged flourishes of trumpet, string trio, lap steel and other tonally vibrant sounds. Fernando's singing is rich and expressive, equally capable of giving confident focus to a moody ballad or to a propulsive little rocker ("Blue Room" pumps along with infectious verve). The sequencing of the songs masterfully links them into a continuous and sustained feel throughout the set's 11 songs. Though the album title suggests the buoyancy of a summer day, from the opening chords of the first song, "The Jackal," they are suffused with the layered mystery of dawn and dusk.

By David Greenberger

FERNANDO: Dreams Of The Sun And Sky

Fernando Viciconte may not be a household name, but the Portland, Oregon singer has the dynamic persona of a certified rock star. Drawing on hard rock, folk, pop and punk influences in addition to a more traditional Spanish makeup, Fernando's music has attracted a swarm of industry heavy-hitters - including majors like Interscope and Columbia. Jaded by major label bureaucracy, he shocked everyone by releasing his latest effort, Dreams Of The Sun And Sky, on his own Domingo Records. The labels hounding Fernando will be surprised by the sound of Dreams as well - rather than rehashing the bluesy hard rock sound of 1999's Old Man Motel, he crafted a folk-pop record that strays into pretty melancholia. Though most tracks rely heavily on an acoustic guitar formula with only sparse piano and horn accompaniment, it's Viciconte's somber vocal melodies that steal the show. Occasionally the band's panache for light pop tunes surfaces (the horn-peppered "Blue Room"), but stripped-down tracks like "The Jackal" and "Killer Waits" dominate the album with an engaging authenticity. ¡Viva la independencia!
- Alex Naidus: CMJ New Music Report Issue: 731 - Sep 10, 2001

Go to [URL] to download The Jackal the opening track off of "DREAMS OF THE SUN AND SKY:"
All Music Guide review by Eric HageThis album of roots- and Latin-flavored dream pop is hard to shake. Fernando Viciconte has a pleasant rasp of a voice that can come off like Wilco's Jeff Tweedy or even John Lennon at times. (The latter particularly on "Away.") The songcraft is gorgeous, varied, and highly original, however, whether it be the way the plaintive Spanish trumpet sails in just as Fernando purrs "...clarion call" on "The Jackal," the driving indie rock of "Blue Room," or the stark, cascading beauty of "White Light." There are also plenty of Beatlesque flourishes, while "Killer Awaits" showcases Fernando's country-folk roots. This is a stunningly pretty album by a criminally overlooked Portland, OR, artist. Dreams of the Sun and Sky is packed with gorgeous mystery. - Erik Hage

Fernando has done it again! This album is a stunning accomplishment. why is it that the people with most talent get the least amount of attention? If you are fan of stunning lyrics this your record