- Bryon Harris
Emily Small - 'Sunflower'
Emily Small is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter, bedroom-pop artist. For those of you who are not familiar with the bedroom-pop phenomenon, it is characterized by DIY low-fi recording techniques, reverb-heavy synth, and dreamy vibes. Emily is a new and welcomed addition to the genre. She has been writing and recording original material since the age of 16 and has just released her debut, full-length album titled 'The Last Honey Bee.' Off the album, the single "Sunflower" perfectly captures today's bedroom-pop dreamy colors and flavors.
"Sunflower" opens with 16 bars of mid-tempo percussive bliss. There's time to sit back, relax, and get into the nice mellow groove. Smooth jazzy-pop synth chords, with a bit of syncopation along with sparse melodic phrases create a chill vibe. Some old-school nostalgic R & B vocals commence for a care-free sparkle.
Emily sings: "That tangle at my feet dodging garden hose that try to stunt my growth. Grown from harmony made of love and peace. I’m a sunflower." Her voice is the bee without the sting, sweet as honey, with space to breath like the air in the sky - her vocals are smooth, mellow, sweet, airy, yet clear.
The lyrics to "Sunflower" are simple, yet vividly creative. Ultimately "Sunflower" is a reflection on love and life. Of love, the grass is not greener on the other side. "One of a kind flower when it comes to love I tower. You’re my honey bee, all mine. You never have to wonder why." Of life, Its about passing up the things that stunt your personal growth to be present in your best self, like a sunflower growing tall above the fray of life's weeds to reach the warmth of the sun.
In "Sunflower," Emily Small offers music that is easy to get lost in as she takes you away to a place where you are floating on positive waves. With a catchy, tuneful melody, you may find yourself humming along. This "Sunflower" was nurtured with immense talent and it blossoms with contemplative lyrics and musical soul and substance.