Stray Blue “Wake Up and Smile”
Nick Anastasakis (vocals, guitar), George Athanas (bass guitar, vocals), and George Papazoglou (drums) make up the Greek trio Stray Blue. With its catchy “Hey!” and subtle country strum and blues rhythm, the lead track “Wake Up & Smile” immediately grabs your attention. “Allow me to tell you a story…” and the plot revolves around a man who leaves his overbearing wife but can’t help but long for her presence. As the stanza delves into his emotions, the constant tone is set by the acoustic strumming. The chorus comes after the third verse as he sings “Wake up and smile I feel fine Walking’ around still don’t know why” and it has a little Beatles-like cadence to it. It reminded me of one of Ringo’s songs. Nick’s vocal is unconventional, but you get accustomed to it very quickly. The other side, “Moody Sky,” is a beautiful duet with Nick Anastasakis’s acoustic guitar and Yoed Nir’s electric cello. The cello playing by Nir makes for a soothing, although melancholy, melody.
Visit The Stray Blue Website to learn more.