I will be the first to admit that I can be a pretty tough judge of music video. Having worked in music video creation, I know how much goes into them, and how much can be done with them on a shoestring budget.
Of course, before even considering a video, I have to hear a song in it that hits. Fortunately, cross-continental band Atlantic Break (a project made between Melbourne and Montreal), has that covered with “New Lights, Old Water.” The track is a melodic gem of heartland punk, calling to mind bands I love like Gaslight Anthem, Dave Hause and new groups like New Junk City. It has all the anthemic qualities and passion-driven vocals that make every line of the song strike an emotional chord.
Watching the music video, and seeing it was a collection of home footage, my first thoughts were “well of course, most bands don’t have a budget to shoot quality footage.” But as I continued through, I noticed how well the video was edited to the song, and how random the footage was. There were beauty shots of women, people protesting against the police, fireworks being lit and a snowboarder. It felt so random that I began to wonder if it was the point. Yet set to this song, and edited so each shot seemed to fit with that moment of the track, the video began to feel like a larger canvas that my brain was trying to find connections for.
Is it a larger “slice of life” look at the world? A commentary on music videos in the modern age? Is there any story trying to be told? Is Atlantic Break laughing at me as I ponder all of this? The fact that the video had me thinking about this made it interesting to me, even if I don’t know the answer.
Watch it for yourself above and see for yourself, and stream the song here.
The Indy Review 