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.