Melissa Harris, who records and performs under the name Born Days, describes her project in dark tones. Though her new self-released debut EP Be True is built on barren synth landscapes that feel liable to crack and dissolve each time a stark electronic drum slams down, she nevertheless manages to find a sliver of sunlight so that she can direct some heat on her material. Her yearning vocals, which tip-toe the line between whispered singing and monotone half-talking, exude a subtle sense of hope even as her lyrics contemplate anxiousness and misery. While the cinematic, corkscrew synths that anchor lead single “Analogue” build on Harris’s lyrical exploration of the complexities of decision making—in the process forging a labyrinthian terrain that threatens to swallow her whole—Harris maintains an austere composure throughout. When she explores the highest notes of her voice in the wordless segments of the chorus it’s as if she’s creating her own secret escape from the music’s maze. v
Chicago electronic-pop project Born Days explores the brighter side of cold synth terrains
