A Hypnotic Melody is Paired with a Shockingly Beautiful Music Video to Great Effect in Bummer’s Low
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Bummer unleashes their single ‘Low’ today in an exquisitely crafted video by Jordan Epstein starring actress Allison Scagliotti of Warehouse 13 fame.
Singer John Rossiter’s voice glides in over the keyboard’s fluttering notes. From here his soothing tones will undulate as Mr. Epstein opens the shot with a soft focus. We’re introduced to Allison who, curled in upon herself in the night, is wearing a simplistic black and white two-piece with shimmering nylons.
Allison uses the poise and grace of her hands to direct our gaze. We become, for the nearly four minute song, enthralled by her movements. Jordan Thomas’ bass drum mixes with the staccato notes of Rossiter’s guitar hypnotically in the opening bars. It isn’t long until Bummer’s music, Allison’s dance, and Epstein’s colorful palette of purples, oranges, reds, and blues lull us into a comfortable repose that is reminiscent of lying in bed with a lover and discovering them.
Low’s Visual Dichotomies
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Thirty seconds into the video and we are presented with two incarnations of Allison, one red the other blue, facing away from each other like individual petals in a flower’s corolla. This is not the only time Epstein presents individual parts of a whole in opposition. Throughout the piece we have shots of night and day; color and darkness; and even Allison’s clothing, black and white. In the dichotomy, Rossitt repeats, “I’ll never let you go” and we gather that there is a plea of desperation in Low.
All of a sudden the lilt of his voice is not the optimistic choke of a lover staring across at his partner, but of an awful discovery. Before the first chorus Rossitt informs us that this song is actually a goodbye. The final shot of the piece with Allison turning back on a roof’s edge, a pained and apologetic look on her face, confirms it. Praise must be given to choreographer Arian Winn who guides Allison’s steps to the conclusion of this story.
[callout]
[three_fourth]
Like Bummer’s Low?
Buy tickets to the Empty Bottle show here.
[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]Get Tickets[/one_fourth_last]
[/callout]
A Story in Dance
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Through Winn’s masterful choreography the narrative of a woman fractured, torn between two pieces of herself, is told with sensual polish. Allison moves quickly as if lost in a whirlwind of thought before settling, slowly, into a seemingly final position before turning into an arabesque. Epstein’s choice to use dichotomy serves to undergird the imagery in Bummer’s Low. Yet, it is Arian and Allison that masterfully tell the story through a coda.
A minute in, Jordan and Allison perform a dance themselves; Jordan’s camera settles on one of the more beautiful moments of the video: a tight shot of Allison completing a brisé vole before a thrilling rush of bubbles blast onto the screen. It is the tense nature of this shot that ignites the audience’s excitement in the wake of Low’s hauntingly melodic R&B chorus.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
John Rossiter and bassist Shawn Nystrand bring their renowned talents from the acclaimed Young Jesus to the fore of Bummer. Together with Jordan Thomas on drums and keyboardist Eric Shevrin they produce a tonally subtle song that burns slow like the afternoon sunset in the second half of the video.
Catch Bummer’s Show This Friday
Join them at the Empty Bottle on July 26th at 9:30 to celebrate their new release. Bummer will be playing with The Sweeps, The Peekaboos, and The Elements of Style who will be releasing an album that same night. Tickets are $8 at the door or free with an RSVP.
[callout]
[three_fourth]
Want Up to Date News on Appoet Reviews and App Development?
Download the appoet.org app to get news, contests, and stories sent to your phone for free.
[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]Download Now[/one_fourth_last]
[/callout]
[googleplusauthor]