I will never tire of the views of nature from this Spanish terrace. I’m waking earlier these days and there’s no better way to begin them than by making a brew, sitting in silence and taking it all in.
The birds sit fifty feet up on the single electricity cable that connects the villas along this track. The distinctive shape of the spectacular hoopoe bird reminds me (as if I’d ever really need it) that this is not England. I get a glimpse of their exotic colours, their regal head-dresses and I smile that this is my morning garden.
The unmistakeable horn-squawk of a peacock blasts out from behind the fig tree. These royal Indian birds roam wild around here, the local farmers saying that they’re good for keeping snakes away. But these scrawny samples are not the elite of their species; they’re far removed from the glorious extroverts who spread their feathers for fun and a tip at National Trust properties across the UK. These poor cousins, manky scavengers with limps and dirty coats, spend their days pecking away in their packs and trying to find a comfortable space for their ablutions on this terrace once I’ve headed back inside.
“You were in my garden”, repeats Third Girl From The Left in the dreamy folktronica chorus/bridge of her debut single “Oxygen”. I listen to the track on the terrace. It meanders and trips through a spoken word section that chimes with the best of Polly Scattergood before giving way to a beautiful birdsong for a chirpy finale. It’s adventurous and delightful, whetting the appetite for more.
Third Girl From The Left is from Devon. Not much is given away when she enquires by E-mail if I might feature Ovygen. I like the brevity and the mystery of her approach.
The press release informs us that she combines field recordings with breathy vocals and an arsenal of instruments, including a much treasured 1920’s zither banjo. It also lets us know that the video has dancer and choreographer Nicky Burke performing on her kitchen worktop.
There’s more than enough flowering in this track for regular readers of Sonic Breakfast to get their trowels into.
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