Seasonal metaphors are reliable appeals to human experience: sensory, universal, and broad. With spring on the horizon, we are once again reminded of stepping into the returning warmth and basking in new experience. On her new single, indie-pop singer/songwriter Lauren Minear reckons with past experiences through gentle reflection and uplifting optimism. "The Sun" is a breezy, indie-pop meditation on self-worth. The lax verses sprout a meadow of fingerpicked guitar and drum machine, Minear speaking earnestly to her younger self. The NYC-based artist applies the naturalistic approach of folk arrangement to this pop-centric structure. The choral bridge sounds almost hymnal, instilling uplifting affirmations with whirling instrumentation. As it rises back into the sunny chorus, "The Sun" blossoms into a lush expression of security and pride.
As with the other songs on Minear's forthecoming album, "The Sun" passes poetic wisdom to anyone needing support (including herself, past and present). "Don't ever let it fade, / just trust who you are," she recites like a charm. She sings to moments in which we might let our stars dim, whether that's because something stands in our way or we let insecurity cloud our mind. "You are the sun," she sings with warmth and clarity, "don't need anyone to save you." The sound and structure is squarely pop, but Minear's folk sensibilities shine through the universal truth and simplicity of these centerpiece lyrics. An image as richly explored in art as the sun could seem cliché in the hands of a lesser writer, but Minear deftly deploys its ubiquitous nature as a center of gravity for the song's broader themes. When she affirms us with its image, every listener can feel its warmth.
Coming off the darkness of winter, Lauren Minear is embracing the coming spring with the singles for her sophomore album. "The Sun" is the third single teasing towards the forthcoming record, titled Chasing Daylight. The Nashville artist released the title track back in January, showing the broad depth of her folk-pop spirit. Throughout the writing process, Minear states that she had been deciding between pursuing music full-time and returning to her day job as a psychotherapist. The resulting record finds motivation and warmth in universal affirmations and observations. While Minear has not announced an official release date, Chasing Daylight is set to release later this spring. It follows her 2022 debut album, Invisible Woman.
Written By Andy M.
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