Shaina Hayes - “Sun and Time”

Photo by Lawrence Fafard

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Shaina Hayes debuts on our blog with the stripped-back and hopeful sounds of “Sun and Time.”

Pressing play invites a robust production into your ears, consisting of a full-band arrangement and vocals that begin straightaway. At this point in the track, the performance is quite minimalistic, with the bass and drums nailing down the foundation as a guitar strums softly overhead. Hayes has double-tracked her delicate vocal performance, an approach that always tends to win us over, gently landing “Sun and Time” within our melancholic niche.

And while the sound aligns with our darker preferences, the subject matter is, in fact, rather hopeful. Hayes provides lyrics that urge the listener to hold on tightly to the memories of summer in order to make it through another winter. And for those of us in the northern hemisphere, this song could not be delivered at a more appropriate time. The arrival of the hook mirrors this optimism, as the rhythm picks up and the vocal performance starts to soar.

The final third of “Sun and Time” reveals a vocal harmony that has brought us back for multiple listens, leaving a profound and marvelous impact each time. All of this climaxes in a final refrain that has been finished with an ear-worm guitar melody, providing a substantial dose of ear candy as a final aural reward. The song stands gloriously on its own, but when coupled with the time of year, “Sun and Time” shines as though a lighthouse to steer listeners away from the rocks of seasonal depression.

“Sun and Time” comes from Hayes’ forthcoming album, Kindergarten Heart, due for release on February 23rd.

-HD