Video of the Moment #2115: Bell X1
Irish alt-rock trio Bell X1 are slowly but surely working their way toward the release of their new album ‘Arms’. Back in March, the band released the first single from the album, titled ‘The Upswing’. And now, a mere 3 months later, they have unveiled a new video to accompany the new tune. Directed by Dutch animator Anna Eijsbouts, the video features a gawky but ultimately endearing pair of clay figurines who are shown as working to maintain a relationship through the trials and tribulations of life. The hero and heroine of this short film find their way from a subdued and rather uncertain beginning to a fresh new start built upon a stronger foundation in the video’s final scenes.
Bell X1 frontman and songwriter Paul Noonan has said in the past that “our artwork is something we’ve always thought of as an extension of the music” and that “we’ve had great luck in contacting people and having them come to collaborate, be it video or art or photography.” The collaboration with director Eijsbouts on ‘The Upswing’ is another fortunate and inspired choice. Her animation is unwaveringly faithful to the storyline of the song, and her very literal illustrative representation captures the subdued but hopeful mood of the music quite nicely. But what really makes this video special are the two clay figurine characters themselves. Their facial expressions and physical movements are perfectly in tune with the subtle emotions in Noonan’s lyrics, and their artless charm adds just the right amount of warmth and intimacy to a song that at first came across as mildly hesitant and standoffish.
‘The Upswing’ is set to feature on Bell X1’s forthcoming new album ‘Arms’, which is scheduled for release later this year. The band are scheduled to play two shows around the release at London Islington Assembly Hall on the 11th and 12th of November. TGTF’s previous coverage of Bell X1 is right back this way.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/xa78BMHajPM[/youtube]
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