When Smokescreens returned to the studio to record their second album, the trio had the help of one of their heroes, David Kilgour. Turns out the legendary New Zealand singer/songwriter and member of the Clean was a fan of the band and agreed when they asked him to occupy the producer's chair. On A Strange Dream, they craft a sound that's very much in line with the work of mid-period Clean and other Flying Nun bands like the Bats and the Chills with very jangly electric guitars over strummed acoustic guitars, a lively rhythm section, and plaintive lead vocals singing alternately uptempo, hooky pop songs and midtempo ballads that give the heartstrings a tender trill. The band are equally adept at both styles, with the rollicking opener "Working Title" being a sterling example of the former and the chiming "I Love Only You" the latter. In between, the band toss out some political pop on "Streets of Despair," tackle dreamy, late-night acoustic pop on "Night Time Skies," give the Clean a run for their money on the insistent "On and On," and drop in a sparkling cover of the early-'80s obscurity "Pick the Cats Eyes Out" by the Scrotum Poles. The band’s previous album Used to Yesterday was much noisier, with loud guitars and a punchier rhythm section; working with Kilgour brings out a softer side of Smokescreens that suits them perfectly. The only complaint is that the record breezes by a little too quickly. Apart from that, A Strange Dream is a perfect blend of both the band and the producer that's an improvement over their already good past work and creeps toward being a heavenly pop hit.