After "Aries", Dean arrived at a very important period of self-reflection, inner-healing and unavoidable growth.

Out of that came the decision to stop hyper-analyzing his work to try and win cool points with indie kids, and just write whatever he felt like writing in the moment and accept that he likes what he likes.
The result was the list of

After "Aries", Dean arrived at a very important period of self-reflection, inner-healing and unavoidable growth.

Out of that came the decision to stop hyper-analyzing his work to try and win cool points with indie kids, and just write whatever he felt like writing in the moment and accept that he likes what he likes.
The result was the list of possible songs for "Optimist Breakfast", a big bag full of different styles and influences all comingling and gelling together like disastrous metaphysical chili.

Motorcycles, cannabis (only where legal, of course), the sad tired eyes of defeated old men, the desperate low moan rifling through every American landscape as the future takes it's vicious hold on the neck of the already-dying American Dream, a piercing harmonica reflecting off the mountain trees and empty highways like the cries of a broken-hearted woman; all this swirled together into the series of folk-rock and country-rock vignettes Dean sings across this album.