There are a few indicators when you’re watching a music video that make you say, “Oh, this is going to be good.” One of those is a cold open, free of the song the video accompanies. Generally speaking (and utilizing my own opinion as a connoisseur of these things, natch), an introduction that sets up the plot of the video means that there’s something deeper there than simply some action with a song.
Rock singer/songwriter Ben Lorentzen gets it. He uses these cinematic sensibilities to craft not one, but two videos for “Dead Man in the Closet” and “Crows on the Wire,” both from his latest album, Pains and Pleasures. The Norway-born artist — whose voice is dense and dark, scruffy in all the right places — draws inspiration from his homeland, a place above the Arctic Circle where the sun doesn’t rise for months at a time. That distinct chill is felt throughout these two clips.
He and director Johan Anderson create a black-and-white world in which strange mysteries lurk around every corner. Both videos (along with others from the album) are tied together with a common storyline featuring a certain character. I’m not going to spoil the plot for you — where’s the fun in that? — but if you’re intrigued by the thought of watching a Bergman-esque short set to bit of toned-down modern rock, you’re in for a real treat.
Check out both videos below!
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