Writer: Evan Crandell
SHANNON SAUNDERS
Sings About The Silly Little Things
SHANNON SAUNDERS DEFINITELY ISN’T MAKING MUSIC VIDEOS
FOR £9 ANYMORE.
The 20-year-old English singer-songwriter, who got
her start posting self-produced videos on YouTube
as a teen, recently took a big step towards international recognition with the release of her single,
“Silly Little Things.”
While she posted an acoustic version of the song was
almost two years ago, it’s clear that Saunders’ popularity has grown exponentially in that time, as the song
is now matched with fully fleshed out pop production
and a sleek lyric video. The song maintains an organic
feel with stomp-like drums and scattered hand clapping
throughout the track. Underneath it all are somewhat
stagnant synth bass subtones and other atmospheric
effects that fill out the sound. Paired with Saunders’
sassy flowing vocals, the product appears ready for the
mainstream airwaves.
The lyrical content of “Silly Little Things” finds Saunders
shedding the desire and tendency to fall back with an
insincere former lover. Her words imply that this person
lived a fast life and perhaps lured in Saunders with the
appeal of possibly raising her status. She admits, “I
wanted to feel upper class / you grab my shoulder said I
looked like a superstar / fast like a supercar.” It’s somewhat ironic that it is this song – which talks about these
experiences and temptations with this person – that
might possibly lift her to those desired heights.
Saunders’ admission of being seduced by this person,
however, is not the crux of the song. Her later declaration of having moved on from those old longings is the
focus and the subject matter of the song’s recurring
30 – 24OURMUSIC
chorus. She claims to have outgrown all of those “silly
little things,” presumably allowing herself to move
forward with her hopes and dreams. There is a hint
of ambiguity, though, when at the end of each refrain
after mentioning her growth, she laments, “it’s such
a shame.” Is it a shame that she was drawn into those
emotional games or that she has outgrown them? Either
way, it’s clear that it takes Saunders considerable effort
to avoid those temptations to turn back.
Given that the song covers some complex emotions,
the production seems to lack an adequately wide ranging palette of expression. The track features very little
variation in overall sound and power to reflect the
words. Even the song’s bridge, which does feature one
of the song’s only dynamic drops, feels as though it’s
cut short and never really seems to take off, particularly
when the refrain returns in exactly the same manner
as it has been delivered before, making it somewhat
anticlimactic.
Before the release of the full-blown version of “Silly
Little Things,” Shannon Saunders had already shown
enough skills in songwriting and vocal talent to ensure
a bright future and amass a loving fan base. And given
that she comes from an acoustic background, which is
somewhat dynamically limiting, it seems normal that
she tends to lean toward more static production. That
considered, and being that “Silly Little Things” is her
first foray into the infinite sonic possibilities of professional production magic, we can still look forward to
what’s next.