Freshly pressed on London’s Permanent Creeps Records (bdrmm, Gaygirl, Italia 90), Sunnbrella — the solo act from London based artist David Zbirka — has unveiled his latest mood-swung upbeat downer “Lost & Found.” Having begun life as a bedroom project, Sunnbrella has risen to new heights over the last year after Zbirka returned to focus on his project following a successful stint drumming for Golf Alpha Bravo.
Harnessing a punchier, more refined sound, Sunnbrella’s 2020 release “It’s Cool” received widespread support over UK radio airwaves and also featured in Spotify’s Fresh Finds Playlist last year. Driven by its indie rock aesthetic, this track contrasts with his latest more somber release “Lost & Found,” which instead revolves around early ’00s hip-hop-style drum beats, jangly guitars, and an intimate, almost whisper-close vocal performance.
“I often don’t know what the message of a song is when I’m writing it,” says Zbirka in a press release. “In a weird way, I have to interpret my own words, but there’s room for completely different interpretations by the listeners.”
Like a blurred impressionist painting, this track encourages you to take your own meanings from it. The verses channel feelings of insecurity (“This face is for now / I’ve got another for later tonight”) while the bridge and chorus sections offer more upbeat tones amidst a haze of melancholic reverie. The pull of the track lies in its lyrical message of being metaphorically lost and found in a world where toxic culture and instant gratifications can cause us to feel so insecure in ourselves — as alluded to in the verses.
The track’s accompanying video takes inspiration from the likes of “Lone Ranger” — a 1960s art house short featuring The Who’s Pete Townshend — as Sunnbrella sits perched atop a basketball hoop in a desolate park for the majority of the video. Adorning a classic black and white feel, the video further enhances the themes of isolation and insecurity projected within the track itself.
With “Lost & Found,” Sunnbrella infuses intimacy and melancholy with sharp ’00s style beats to create a delectably mood-swung musical concoction.