Last month, I wrote about the anthemic, remarkably self-assured, Snow Patrol-like debut single “Can’t Go Back,” from the rather mysterious indie rock duo Essx Station. Building upon the initial bit of response from their debut, the duo compared of Winter and Blunda have release their second single, the atmospheric and swooning “Awake or Dreaming.” And while still drawing some influence from Snow Patrol, the duo reveal that they can craft sincere, pop-leaning indie rock with anthemic hooks.
As the band explains “Awake or Dreaming” is “about the moment when you realize that your reality has finally exceeded your dreams. It’s about being happy with what you have so that you’ll have enough. As Lao Tzu said ‘If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. if you are at peace, you are living in the moment. This song is about the power of now.” Considering the increasingly terrible news of the past few weeks, including the reprehensible terrorist acts in Manchester, this song should be a reminder of how we all must live, living to enjoy this very moment, complete with the knowledge that the next moment may not be guaranteed.
