The dodgy knee has meant that I’ve been less able to get out and enjoy this week’s sunshine. My daily walk has been scrapped as the gentle hobbling inside becomes easier day by day. I’ve been invited to a clinic tomorrow and I’ll know more then about my general prognosis. Today, amongst other things, I’m feeling a little grumpy as I’m missing out on the chance of some vitamin D.
At least, there is still music. And what better way to lighten the mood than to listen to a tune about sunshine? Written to provide the listener with a little bit of warmth, the bouncy and perky ‘Melanin’ by Rhona Stevens is today’s Sonic Breakfast pick.
“I was feeling at the end of my tether with the cold, dark, dragging Scottish winters when I wrote Melanin.“, says Rhona in the press release. “It was a bit of escapism for me, focusing on what I wished for, living vicariously through those lyrics.”
It works for me. With bright jazz, folk and indie tone, this is music to help you feel happy. It avoids the trap of becoming too sweet and saccharine though; a nutty gloss ensuring that there’s enough on offer here for it not to be simple or throwaway.
Rhona’s got a busy year planned. She’s already released a grand follow-up single to ‘Melanin’ in ‘Lay It Down’. It would appear that the positive and spirited approach is going to be a consistent feature of her output. “I’m making an effort to release uplifting songs only this year,” she says when we exchange E-mails. “Wash the intensity and hardness away; maybe soften into spring time and dare I say, look forward to the summer months?!”
She’s got the next few months all thought through. “Firstly, a haircut and then to a beer garden. My grand plan though is to spend some time at my family home in the countryside and then travel onto the Highlands and island to visit friends there – as soon as I can. I haven’t left the city since the brief hiatus for Christmas so some fresh air and hill walking is definitely beckoning.”
Ooh- hill walking. Now I’m just feeling envious. I guess that’ll be a little way off for me. Still, the rays of the sun feel good and a little bit of melanin will surely not fail to perk me up.
sonicbreakfast 