What can be said about the peerless Mel Parsons? New single Caravan is another elevation in crafted delivery of a winsome subject that 100% of folks can relate to with a knowing smile.

With a music vid filmed to reflect the subject material, available on YouTube to see now. I won’t post spoilers but it’s simple, visually clear and follows the message. Just how I like it, so nice work there guys. Mel tells us about what inspired this track in the EPK. I like to let the artist tell us whenever available, so:

“I had a pretty quintessential childhood of a Kiwi farm kid; we rode horses on the beach, spent summers making huts and lighting fires, swimming and riding our bikes”

“The deafening cicadas; the sharp lime chip under foot, walking across to the old caravan parked up at the end of the driveway; the smell of horses, salt water, and crates of long neck beer bottles sitting in the sand.”

With regard to the track itself, Mel stays with her folkie roots, which as we all know is a clear strength. To me the start was a similar vibe to – and work with me here – What Took You So Long by former Spice Girl Emma Bunton. The (possibly baritone) acoustic guitar, some folk/country tone to the electric lead, and some subtle percussion intertwined with velvety bass, kicking into a sweet but subtle, and not even remotely saccharine, melody. That’s for the context of expectation only, no intent to compare the two songs.

This is where Mel channels her inner Mama’s And Papa’s as the track lifts towards and into the chorus. An exceptional vocal blend, choral and intimate at the same time, which while being contemporary still manages to tease visions of yesteryear from us. Watching the vid enhances this trick, and voila – Mel Parsons delivers a new, somewhat bewitching single that manages to make the nostalgia flow. Undeniably intentional.

The orchestration is uncluttered, studio work has done it’s job to the Nth degree and the composition is nice and flows well. A good, non-jarring middle eight gives a platform to the build-up to the final part. The lady knows how to write a song. As if we didn’t know already. And big ups to Josh Logan for piloting the desks in the dungeon dimensions known as the recording studio.

Well, this one is TV bound and radio bound. It’s a genre crossing number that can sit on all non-EDM channels. You’ll be hearing it by now, I guarantee. Play it wherever you happen to be. You’ll be happier for it.