Power of Dreams – Ausländer (2021)
More than three decades after Power of Dreams burst onto the Irish indie-rock scene with their landmark debut Immigrants, Emigrants and Me, the band returned with Ausländer in 2021 – a vibrant, worldly, and deeply personal companion piece that echoes their past while expanding their sonic identity. Now, with much excitement, Ausländer is finally receiving the vinyl release it deserves. Fans can pre-order the three limited edition colour vinyls here, with each version, orange, turquoise, and purple, limited to just 100 units and housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, dropping August 30 via FOAD Musick.
The German word Ausländer means “foreigner”, an apt title for an album born from geographic scattering and cultural cross-pollination. Songwriter Craig Walker, who has spent time living and working across Ireland, England, France, and Germany, brings these layered experiences into the music. Joined by original members Keith Walker and Ian Olney, as well as producer and bassist Erik Alcock (known for work with Pink, Eminem) and keyboardist/mixer Ali Staton (Madonna, Turin Brakes), the album is a melting pot of sound and sentiment, recorded across Berlin, Bath, London, and Arizona.
From the outset, Ausländer announces itself with intent. The opener, ‘Do It’, hits with a muscular indie-rock punch, familiar yet fresh. It’s a confident return, full of taut riffs and melodic immediacy. The production is crisp, with Staton’s touch giving the record a spacious yet grounded feel, perfect for the anthemic choruses and introspective verses that Power of Dreams are known for.
Ausländer wears its themes on its sleeve. Tracks like ‘America’ stand out not only musically, thanks to a driving beat and razor-edged guitars, but also politically. But not all is fire and fury. There’s tenderness and nostalgia, too. ‘Margaret’ is a poignant ballad, straightforward in construction but rich in emotional weight. Meanwhile, ‘Across the Shannon’ closes the album on a reflective note, combining ambient electronics with soft piano to create a dreamlike farewell. It’s a fitting end to an album that’s as much about looking back as it is about pushing forward.
What’s perhaps most impressive is how Ausländer doesn’t sound like a band stuck in the past. While nods to their early ‘90s output are present, there’s a maturity and breadth here that shows how far Craig Walker and company have come. Since the band’s last full-length, Become Yourself (1995), Walker has enjoyed significant success with UK prog group Archive and with projects like Them There, whose ‘Fade Out Lines’ was remixed into a chart-dominating hit by The Avener. His songwriting has deepened, and Ausländer reflects that evolution.
Power of Dreams has re-emerged not as a nostalgia act but as a revitalised force, capable of bridging generations. The success of singles like ‘America’, ‘Across the Shannon’, ‘Hurricane’, and ‘Baby Boy’, all of which topped indie charts or landed on popular TV shows, proves there’s still a dedicated audience out there, old and new alike.
With the upcoming vinyl release, long-time fans and newcomers alike have the perfect chance to own a physical piece of this chapter. If Ausländer proves anything, it’s that time, distance, and life experience haven’t dulled Power of Dreams’ edge; they’ve sharpened it. For a band once defined by youth and promise, this comeback proves their power endures.
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