EP Review: Anavae - 'Are You Dreaming?'

Anavae is like the music industry's secret Pokemon, we are forever seeing them evolve into something bigger. Leveling up to the max with each new song released. We remember them from their baby faced pop punk days, but look at them now, writing stadium filling anthems with new EP 'Are We Dreaming?', that is out now via Better Noise Records/ Eleven Seven.

Named after a book on lucid dreaming and inspired by their joint love of sci-fi movies, novels, soundscapes, images, voices and soundtracks, Are You Dreaming? is a much bigger sound compared to their previous releases. Don't get us wrong, you could certainly sense it in their work, with previous tracks like 'Anti-Faith', you could tell they wanted to get that vibe out when it came to their music.

But this EP, we feel ,sees them comfortable finally in what they are creating, they understand who they are and this is it now. The Anavae sound; it's big, edgy, and in some ways a bit sexy.

Opening track 'All or Nothing' throws you straight into it, which feels like something out of a post-apocalypse sci-fi film. How it grows throughout and launches you into into their creative space. While EP closer, 'Lose Your Love' shows a different side to them, with a more minimalist atmosphere.

The EP shows how far the band have come to be who they are, and we certainly love it. It has this dark mysterious mood to it, like those sort of big rock songs that you see on Hollywood movie soundtracks, films like Blade Runner and the latest Marvel flick.

Maybe that is what is next for Anavae.

Words by Ant Adams