Review: Mel D – Young Bones

A soundtrack for balmy summer nights and cool autumn evenings alike. Young Bones, the debut album by Mel D, a musician from the Canton of Graubünden who now lives and works in Zurich, is not necessarily easy listening. Some albums reveal themselves in seconds, others take time. Young Bones undoubtedly belongs to the second category.

Across the nine songs, Mel D mostly refrains from sensationalism. The pared-down compositions seem almost minimalist, yet often have a whimsical, playful side. Here, small mosaic pieces, unremarkable on their own, come together to create a tender picture with soft, rounded contours.

Those who have only heard the singles Not Crazy and We Win, the collaboration with Dino Brandão, may therefore have been misled: Young Bones is much quieter, much closer to gentle folk than rock.

In this respect, the album’s opener, Changing, is the perfect introduction. It’s a track that floats along with minimal percussion, giving Mel D’s voice space to breathe, while a thousand sounds and strings creep up in the background and suddenly rise impressively.

Bring The Witches Back is probably the most perfect execution of the musical blueprint of Young Bones. Mellow and serene, meandering between folk and country, then flowing into a driving but always subdued outro. The return of the witches becomes a symbol of feminist power, of love and magic that we can share with each other and with the world.

Thematically, Young Bones spans the spectrum of introspection. From the heart-wrenching portrayal of the need for belonging in Slowly Growing to the exhaustion in Where Do You Look When It Hurts?, the heavy pieces still find warmth, united in the spirited poetry of connectedness that defies Weltschmerz.

Nevertheless, despite the warmth in these delicate compositions, Young Bones remains fairly heavy. Like a thick wool blanket that you pull over your head to escape the world. As I said, this album is not easily digested, but not because it is indigestible or even unpalatable. It’s just not fast food, and so, Young Bones simply doesn’t work casually. These often airy-sounding songs demand undivided attention; it is even better to keep your eyes closed.

None of this is intrinsically negative. On the contrary, I applaud Mel D for taking this risk. Nevertheless, Young Bones could perhaps do with another track that briefly releases you from this enveloping sound, allowing you to take a short breather before sinking back into this beautiful heaviness with relish.