The Ultimate Dreamers – “Paradoxical Sleep”

I have to admit, this new album from The Ultimate Dreamers is quite different, titled “Paradoxical Sleep”. If you’re into that sweet spot where post-punk meets modern dark pop, you’re gonna find yourself hitting repeat on this one. The Belgian quartet hasn’t just come back, they’ve grown. “Digging” starts with a dark and menacing feel while “Spiritchaser” is catchy and will be stuck in your head for hours.

What makes the album more impressive is how seamlessly they blend those classic cold wave vibes (think Joy Division and The Cure) with something totally fresh. It doesn’t feel like a throwback at all – more like those influences got reimagined for 2025.

The guest appearances really take the whole thing to the next level. As soon as the vocals by Simona Ferrucci start on “Into the Fog”, the song takes on a whole new level of ethereal. And I haven’t even mentioned “The Knife” with June Dune – this is the best dark pop song I’ve ever heard this month so far. Not just the song, but the whole album is one of the best ones I heard in the last couple of months.

You can really hear how that cello work by Sandrine enriches the album with this melodic layer throughout the entire record. These are the details that make “Paradoxical Sleep” feel grand and personal all at once. At the end of the last track, you will have a hard time picking just one favorite song.

I can’t listen to this album enough with its subliminal melodies that wrap around my head and lyrics that make me question everything, and if you want to support some of the best dark alternative music that should be getting way more attention than it does, you should follow The Ultimate Dreamers on all the platforms, get this release immediately and share it with anyone who loves music that actually has something to say.