I must confess, I had to look up the word “agnosia” to see what it means. According to Google, it’s the “inability to interpret sensations and hence to recognize things, typically as a result of brain damage.” Well, I think it’s safe to say that I don’t have agnosia, because I recognized Halcyon Drive’s vibrant and infectious indie rock straightaway once I dove into the Melbourne band’s new song Agnosia, the follow up to the group’s last acclaimed single Silver Ray and a fresh taste from their long awaited debut full length arriving later this year. Searing guitars and electrifying energy abounds on the bold brooding, disconsolate churning number. Frontman Michael Oechsle explains: "This is a song about truth. A song about, how in this day and age, it's harder than ever to break free from whatever media, marketing or influence is being forced down our throats. I was lucky enough to be brought up by two incredible parents who never pushed me into anything, and always let me find my own truth. This is a song written from the complete opposite perspective- from the perspective of someone so lost in following or fighting other people's opinions, that they've lost the ability to think for themselves." Everyday feels like such a battle lately, due to all the passionate divisions besetting our nation. Least we now have this gloriously brawling new tune to remind us to find our own truths, to avoid our own “agnosia”.
