Mick J Clark unfurls “Anuther Sunny Hulliday,” and one finds oneself contemplating the peculiar architecture of joy, especially when it’s blueprinting escape for the very young. This pop-dance single practically hums with pre-departure jitters, a concentrated dose of that effervescent anticipation before you trade spreadsheets for sandcastles, or, in this case, school chairs for a “Parrot Dance.”
The promise is classic, distilled sunshine: clear blue seas, golden sands, an almost “heavenly” release from… well, from whatever burdens a seven-year-old in the modern world. That “Parrot Dance,” performed while seated, no less! It conjures up a curious image, perhaps less tropical frenzy and more like the surprisingly rigid etiquette of a children’s tea party from a bygone era, say, a Lewis Carroll illustration where even mimicking a macaw had its proper, seated form. The track bounces along, a determinedly upbeat vessel heading straight for Fun Island, no detours for moody contemplation.
Mick J Clark, whose songbook spans a whole rack of genres from rock to R&B, presents this confection with a directness that’s almost disarming. The slightly askew spelling of “Anuther” in the title gives it the feel of a note found stuck to the fridge with a crayon, a genuine smudge of childish excitement. It makes one ponder: are these ritualistic pursuits of paradise, as the song’s theme of yearly repetition suggests, about recharging the soul or just the elaborate crafting of an impeccable social media story, even for the pre-teen set? The tune seems designed for precisely that instant, replayable hit of happiness.
“Anuther Sunny Hulliday” is determinedly light, a sonic inflatable lilo. It doesn’t ask you to dig deep; it asks you to splash about. And in a world often feeling like it’s forgotten how to simply be on holiday, perhaps there’s a strange wisdom in that. But can a parrot, however enthusiastically danced, truly teach us the art of blissful escape, or just how to look entertainingly frantic while trying?
