Paul Cullen's Dreamdance has the smoothness of jazz, the swagger of blues, and a hint of rock n' roll punch, topped off with a vocal performance that makes for a memorable album. Definitely a mellow album and appropriately so, for the most part. The Latin-influenced percussion and bass drive the rhythms with a jazz-like busy-ness but do so without cluttering up the songs. Stringed instruments, flutes and keyboards fade in and out tastefully, but it's Cullen's vocals that give the album its unique identity.

Vocalist/bassist Cullen's voice fits the character of the music perfectly enough to pull the blanket of romance over the listener with his lyrics. His voice is somewhat reminiscent of Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and singer/songwriter James Taylor. The strength of the songs depend on the strength of Cullen's vocal presence, and having said that, three of the tracks are instrumental songs, which could brighten up an office atmosphere in a contemporary jazz sort of way, but they pale in comparison to the tracks with vocals.

The album's high point is track 3, "Forever Blue" which strolls in like a good Chicago song (vaguely reminds me of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" but better) with a catchy horn riff, backed by gently strummed guitars, and then Cullen's vocals take this song to the height of Broadway musical spectacle during the verses before cooling out in the shade during the chorus with some bluesy/R&B style Steve-Cropper style guitar licks (think "Soul Man" or "Dock of the Bay"). Top to bottom, one of the best songs I've heard in a long time. Plenty of other good tracks, too. "Friends Don't Kiss," "Sometimes" and "Dreamdance" are, by turns dark, seductive and celebratory and could set the mood for a date like a bottle of good wine. Another one of my favorite tracks is the Santana-esque "Goodbye my Love." The song’s percussion and bass can't help but remind you of Santana and the guitar solo has a bite to it that goes down with sugar and a small drop of venom that tastes a lot like a Santana guitar solo.

If Paul Cullen's name sounds familiar, you have probably seen it on a Bad Company album or read an article about the band mentioning him as the bassist. Same Paul Cullen, but a radically different sound that I would recommend to anybody in search of a the perfect soundtrack for a relaxed atmosphere. Whether or not you're a Bad Company fan, or if you're a metalhead like me, you can't help but acknowledge this man's talent and enjoy his music.