Sonny Myall – What She Left Behind (2022)
Inspired by a stanza from ‘Mrs Lazarus’, a poem by Carol Ann Duffy, Sonny Myall considers how objects remind us of people, times and places long gone. ‘What She Left Behind’ taps into the symbolic value that items gain when the person to whom they belonged has left or passed away. Sliding into the overwhelming nature of grief and loss, the unique melodic arrangement poignantly reverberates the emotions of the track through your chest.
The tight production, haunting single note and interwoven harmonies of the single wash your senses with grief, while offering the smallest hint of light in the darkness. While Myall has been making music for years with various bands, this solo project allows him to experiment with arrangements and styles. A truly stunning single, it sucks you into the emotional space it inhabits and leaves you wanting more of its beautiful sadness.
The toe-tapping vibe of the opening line of ‘What She Left Behind’ has you easily bopping away to the music. The music has a warm feeling, but there is something chilly resting just out of reach. The drums have you bopping to their sound, while the higher single note that calls out over the vocals has a haunting vibe. It is this single note that brings the first touches of sadness and grief, that are taken to a new level by the vocals. As the single progresses, the instrumentation rises together for a cresting tone that lifts you above the waters of sadness. The uplifting tones of the chorus give you a glint of hope that makes the journey through the darker emotions of the track easier.
The tight melodic production brings the first touches of complex emotions, but it is Myall’s vocals that bring the overwhelming nature of grief and loss. His performance has a vintage touch to it as harmonised vocals wash over you. While the melody is hitting you with warm and easy feelings, his performance draws you into the bone-deep chill of loss. Through the verses, he brings your attention to all the items left around a house that reminds you of someone who has left or passed away. It is a sad feeling that really tugs at your heartstrings and threatens to overwhelm you with grief. The way forward and out of the grief is offered in the chorus as Myall lets you know that holding onto these items can help heal the wounds they initially open.
Sonny Myall combines an easy, yet tight, melodic production with poignant emotions as he considers grief and moving forward in ‘What She Left Behind’. Using the items that are left behind, he helps us work through our emotions and find a way to move forward. The rather easy-going melody is a wonderful accompaniment to the emotive vocals that tug at your heartstrings.
Find out more about Sonny Myall on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
