Enchanting, Mystical and Haunting
Chicago-based musician and producer Melissa Harris, also known as Born Days, released “My Little Dark,” the first single from her new record, on August 4. My Little Dark will be Harris’s first full-length LP, which is set to release on October 6. According to her website, My Little Dark is “a concept album that draws inspiration from the confessional poetry of Sylvia Plath and the childlike innocence of Dr. Seuss to narrate a mystical, sci-fi, coming-of-age, adventure of a young woman trying to survive the psychological limitations she has placed on her own reality.”
“My Little Dark” certainly gives listeners a taste for the anticipated mystical journey. This single immediately has a dark, haunting quality with the entrance of driving synth bass notes and choppy angelic chords. Harris’s airy and expressive vocals blend perfectly with the ghostly instrumentation. Harris described “My Little Dark” as “a song about little girl who saves herself from herself and all of the little dark spirits wandering around her mind.” The instrumental breaks, vocal cries and dismal lyrics allow the listener to feel the same troubling emotions the girl is experiencing.
During the bridge of this track, most of the instruments drop out and the tone shifts. Only a low-pitched, woodwind-like synth and a faint high-hat accompany Harris’s soft and vulnerable voice. It seems as though the lyrics represent the dark spirits trying to persuade the girl to give into her self-loathing and negative thoughts. Harris sings, “In a world where nobody knows your name/You can just forget those humans/You can lie right here in my arms/I will hold you until the end.”
What makes this song so captivating is the story it tells. “My Little Dark” paints a crystal-clear picture of suffering and struggling to accept yourself. The mantra-like phrases heard throughout this track make it even more explicit that the girl is battling with herself and the dark spirits within her, trying not to give in and let them take control. In the beginning of the song, the girl is aware that these dark spirits do not define her and cannot dominate her, as Harris sings, “You are the dark/Underneath the bed/You are the one/That hated in my head.” However, by the end of the track, the girl begins to give in to her demons, as the lyrics shift to, “I am the dark/Underneath the bed/I am the one/Who hated in my head.”
“My Little Dark” is undoubtedly a great tone-setter for Harris’s upcoming album. The instrumentals, lyrics and storytelling make this track stand out and gives listeners a glimpse of what to expect from the rest of this album. All of the hard work and little details Harris put into this song shine through and if the rest of the tracks on this album keep up with this one, My Little Dark will be magical.
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