Alabama Shakes is fresh off of the release of their Sophomore studio album titled, “Sound & Color.” The album hit shelves last Monday (4/20). Today the band from Athens, Alabama released a mind-blowing visual for the track that dons the album title.
The James Frost directed video takes place above the Earth. A man wakes up in a pod aboard a spacecraft. After stumbling he literally looks at the world from the window of a spacecraft. As the astronaut (there is no mention of his identity, so for the sake of the article we will call him Lou) stumbles to gain his balance, flashbacks of him with his wife and child appear across the screen. Lou is naturally confused he appears like he has no business being in space, and doesn’t really know why he is in the first place. The search for actual stimulating food is futile. Only powder mixes are available, and the monotony of choices drives Lou mad. He ends up crushing the powder between his fingers.Lou continues exploring the spaceship and finds a control room. Seeing this as a sign of hope, he attempts to contact people on Earth. You can see him screaming “come in”, but this action too was futile. Obviously shaken up he looks down to see a printout, and as the camera scrolls down the printout the words “Off Course” are highlighted. He falls to the floor in agony trying to somehow console himself, and fight back the seemingly overwhelming sadness that would strike anybody. After he looks up from his sorrow-filled state he notices the sun. The screen cuts to black. The cliffhanger ending suggests that Lou’s story is not done begin told, and the rest of the visuals coming off of Alabama Shake’s “Sound & Color” will develop the concept into a series.
The song itself is a deeply intense song about the yearning for human contact. The soulful vocals from the group harp on the sense of loneliness, and being in your own world wishing someone else could join you in it. Detachment is a theme that is carried out in the visual. Being in space, the endless void, and having no one to talk to is quite possibly the worst fate there is. Check out the stunning visual for “Sound & Color” above.
Alabama Shakes will be on tour throughout the summer. Tickets and show dates can be found below.
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May 15 – Brighton, UK, The Great Escape Festival – SOLD OUT
May 28 – St. Louis, MO, The Fox Theatre w/very special guest Father John Misty
May 29 – Kansas City, MO, The Starlight Theatre w/very special guest Father John Misty
May 30 – Minneapolis, MN, Hall’s Island w/very special guest Father John Misty
Jun 2 – Indianapolis, IN, The Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park w/very special guest Father John Misty
Jun 3 – Detroit, MI, Masonic Temple Theatre w/very special guest Father John Misty
Jun 5 – Seaside Heights, NJ, Gentlemen of the Road
Jun 6-7 – Toronto, ON, Field Trip Music & Arts Festival
Jun 7 – Hunter Mountain, NY, Mountain Jam Festival
Jun 9 – Charlottesville, VA, nTelos Wireless Pavilion w/special guest Strand of Oaks
Jun 10 – Cary, NC, Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park w/special guest Courtney Barnett
Jun 11-14 – Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Jun 27 – Beuningen, Netherlands, Down The Rabbit Hole
Jun 28 – Werchter, Belgium, Rock Werchter
Jul 8 – Lucca, Italy, Summer Festival Lucca
Jul 10 – Rotterdam, Netherlands, North Sea Jazz Festival
Jul 7-9 – Squamish, BC, Squamish Valley Music Festival
Jul 16 – Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/very special guests Drive-By Truckers
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