Listen: Sorcha Richardson - 'Waking Life' (Single)

Brooklyn via Dublin singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson shares wistful new cut, 'Waking Life'.

'Waking Life' chugs to life with a slow-rolling beat reminding me of factory machinery, evoking images of relentless activity, man-made conformity and the monotony of the daily grind. It's almost as if these sonic textures are representing the inner workings of Sorcha Richardson's mind as she finds herself stuck in a sluggish cycle of disappointment. Envisioning how things could have been, and how she hoped for them to be vs. sobering reality.

As the track progresses into its hooky chorus, adding layers of gleaming synth, Sorcha becomes an uplifting choir unto herself, building on those hazy textures with woozy cinematic flourishes to represent the constant battle between dream and reality. There's a huge likability to her smoky alto as she matter-of-factly tells her narrative. At times almost robotically as she confesses, "I just thought that by now, I would know how to love you, I thought I'd know how" as if somehow she may not have been programmed to do so.

'Waking Life' is poetic, it's despondent, it's wholly relatable for anyone feeling a little bit lost in their lives. It's up there with one of my favourite tracks of the year.

Words of Karla Harris.

Catch Sorcha on tour in October with fellow Irish singer/songwriter Imelda May.