‘Wake Up & Smile – Acoustic Version’: Stray Blue’s 20-Year Whisper of Hope

The soothing indie folk duo of Stray Blue has released a 2-track EP of all acoustic music called ‘Wake Up & Smile – Acoustic Version’. Available on July 18th to celebrate their 20 years anniversary, it marks the latest release from the Greek band members Nick Anastasakis, George Athanas, and George Papazoglou. This special acoustic offering is truly personal, honest and humble music. The EP’s opener is the stripped back version of their anthem “Wake Up & Smile” itself. The original track is a warm and hopeful ballad that is the musical equivalent of a soft nudge, giving us permission to push on and carry on even on our more difficult days. Nick Anastasakis’ vocal quality is almost hushed but his voice soars gently above the 12 string guitar with its bespoke tuning. The themes of life’s unpredictability and his gentle encouragement to move on, to never stop smiling washes over you. It is not big or showy but it is truthful and it lingers.

The second song “Moody Sky” heads off in a more emotional and atmospheric direction. Acclaimed cellist Yoed Nir features on the song which has a more melancholic feel. Weaving in and around the vocals, the cello brings a thick warmth and an enveloping sadness to the track that is neither suffocating nor overbearing but tenderly introspective. This is the kind of track you want to listen to when you need to sit with your thoughts and process. The timbre of the acoustic guitar layered against the forlorn cello sounds so much more vast than the sum of its parts and acts like the aural equivalent of that late night, late afternoon, early morning internal dialogue we all have with ourselves.

The EP is short but it is sweet and it has a lot to say. It is a meditation on moving on, resilience and survival through the accumulation of years. There is also a sense of progression in sound and emotion across both the songs. With the re-release of “Wake Up & Smile” and this new “Moody Sky”, Stray Blue prove they haven’t lost touch with their acoustic origins but rather have grown with them. It is comforting to see a band still making honest, passionate, and quietly powerful music so many years into their career.

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