Once again, I have to thank Dreambound’s stellar YouTube channel for alerting me to yet another little-known, high-energy band, this time being Dream Awake. With a captivating introduction, I got quite the strong impression off the band’s single “Heritage,” originally released last June. I’m excited to dig in and hear the other four tracks off of their new EP Prosper!
Beginning with a fade-in riff, title track “Prosper” strings together as much melody as heaviness in the earlygoings. A hook that means business in the post-chorus is proof that the production cuts no corners, either. The breakdown vocals beg to “define my existence” before a guitar-laden outro seals the deal for the track.
The piece that got me accustomed to Dream Awake, “Heritage” has tons of layers to it that make the band stand out. At pretty much every point of the song’s structure, there’s two distinct guitar runs going thanks to Chris Byrne implementing some quality duality; the vocals get nice trade-offs/harmonies, and even strings enter the mix to cement the depth in this memorable song.
The growls in “Obsession” sent shivers down my spine, sounding as crisp as can be. A track that goes from foreboding to soft in the blink of an eye, this is a masterful handle of the post-hardcore genre. “Inanimate” comes in with a groovy riff overlapped by another layer of guitar prowess. Hitting a smooth falsetto, vocalist Conor Kelly persists in showing us his chops, both clean and unclean.
Prosper wraps up with “Anaesthesia,” clocking in at more than 5 minutes, quite the long time for a track in this genre. Thankfully, it has enough going on to not overstay its welcome, with its bridge featuring divine guitarwork and a haunting scream to close out the EP.
Dream Awake has a lot going on in their tunes, but this is hardly a problem for listeners that will love to replay these great tracks over and over again. Now with a backlog of three EPs, there’s lots to choose from if you want to start listening to the band, but Prosper is as good a place as any to begin.
A press copy of Prosper was provided courtesy of Dream Awake.
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