almost monday Searches for Silver Linings in ‘sun keeps on shining’
Photo: Sam Victoria
It’s finally June, which means it’s finally summertime, and indie-pop trio almost monday has arrived just in time to deliver us the song of the summer, "sun keeps on shining."
“sun keeps on shining” is all about not letting the small inconveniences get to you; there will always be a silver lining, and ultimately, the sun will keep on shining. When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers read us a book called Fortunately. Essentially, it was about a character who goes through a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. (I promise, this anecdote has a purpose). In each verse of the track, vocalist Dawson Daugherty shares with us a piece of his day: where one objectively fortunate event is immediately followed by an objectively unfortunate event. He can’t find his keys, then gets a parking ticket. He finds money, then uses it to go to Hawaii. He arrives in Hawaii, and his luggage isn’t there. He hitchhikes a ride, then runs into his ex. Despite his trials and tribulations, he ultimately maintains a positive outlook, as he moves upward and onward with the chorus, “But the sun keeps on shining, and the car keeps on driving / I’m looking for a lemon but they gave me a line, the days are getting hotter but I’m still alive.” ‘sun keeps on shining’ tells a story that feels like an iridescent rainbow breaking through storm clouds.
Over gritty guitar riffs and melodic keys, Daugherty sings with a Cage The Elephant-esque swagger that paints a colorful soundscape for the listener. The instrumental transition between each verse and chorus works to reflect the fortunate-yet-unfortunate narrative of the track. At its core, "sun keeps on shining" is a conundrum of contradictions in the best possible way: it’s silly, yet serious, it’s sunny, yet cloudy, and above all, it’s optimistic, despite its series of not-so-fortunate events.
almost monday is currently on tour with The Driver Era in Latin America and are headlining their own show at the Mercury Lounge on June 13.
Watch the sun keeps on shining video below:
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