Looking for something bright and breezy to match the warm summer days then at first listen Melissa Bel's new single "Can't Go Home" seems just the ticket, It's has an upbeat sound and is positively hook laden - so far so good.
Toronto-bred, UK-based Melissa Bel has spent a lot of time writing for others but having released a few singles last year she is currently embarking on a project of releasing an EP of much more personal songs that might be difficult to offer to other artists.
It is only when you listen closely to the words that you realise that Melissa has pulled off a classic songwriter trick of matching seemingly darkish lyrics to a bouncy hook laden tune and letting the listener discover later what might be going once they've been drawn in by the song. There also clues in the publicity photo for the release with Melissa pictured leaving home taking one last wistful look back as she leaves with a small carry case.
The opening lines hint that things might not be well "Doing 60 down the highway, 7PM on Sunday I don't mind I got nowhere to be" and by the time we hit the chorus with its "Can't Go Home" title and lines like "How many miles will it take to make ease with the past?" and in case there was any doubt , "Until I can forgive you i'd rather just forget".
The nature of what the problems are or were are not addressed in this song but we are told that Melissa has got to "admit that i've been running from my family and my friends". It is a song about escaping or at least trying to outrun your problems which Melissa admits is not going to work and that they are "catching up with me".
With a veritable choir of backing vocals the joyfulness of the atmosphere created here is clearly at odds with the lyrics and it will be interesting to see what other gems this future EP might contain. Melissa has certainly piqued our interest to find out what is to follow.