I’d never be that age again.
Grizzly Bear have debuted their new music video for “Yet Again,” one of my favorites from their new album “Shields.” In it, a teenaged girl who is a struggling figure skater is put through perilous trials of loneliness, drowning, fear and exhaustion, only to get up in the morning and try to put the skates back on again. It ends with an unexpected blast of emotion, amidst flying sports medals, pages from a tabloid mag and other girlish high school debris.
The New York-based troupe walks that line of noise and easy-listening when it comes to their brand of rock; as I said in my review of “Yet Again,” it’s the best example of how they flex their pop muscles when they’ve got a few guitars in the background just dying to make a cacophony. The clip’s dark visuals now reflect that aesthetic, of something cold and challenging bubbling just below the four-part harmonies.
“Yet Again” was helmed by director Emily Kai Bock (via the Creators Project), who was also behind Grimes’ intensely watchable vid for “Oblivion.” Both it and this new video project brings out something strongly feminine and on-the-fringe, without overt sexuality or lingering on shots that do nothing but compliment the subjects. I’ll be putting both on constant rotation.
“Shields” made it to No. 7 on yesterday’s Billboard 200 chart, pretty good considering the indie release’s competition included Pink, Kanye West and Co., the Killers and Carly Rae Jepsen.