When it comes to making a professional music video, a substandard production quality can make the difference in a young artist’s career. If we, the viewers, aren’t able to feel the faceted nuances of your music juxtaposed against the imagery of the video that we can’t relate to the intended message. You can’t stamp a price tag on the creative blending of visual and audiological might because it’s invaluable, and bands looking to get their career started on the right foot would do well to look at the work of New England’s Oberon Rose, whose latest video for the single “No Stranger” is a shining example of inexplicable artistry on a dime-sized budget.
“No Stranger” proves that you don’t have to be on a major record label to record a music video that shakes the ground beneath our feet, but it also speaks volumes about the level of commitment it takes to make thoroughly effective art. Oberon Rose employ an interesting approach to songwriting that revolves around frontman Tommy Oberon and his writing partner Rebecca Rose, who sometimes seem to share a brain when it comes to inventing provocative lyrics. Having a good foundation is quintessential to make a hit single, but staying on top of its development is just as important.
There’s so much duality in Oberon Rose’s music that if it weren’t as nimbly controlled as it is in “No Stranger” it might go off the rails into more self-indulgent territory. Mike Keyes and Chris Listori stand in the foreground of the music video alongside Oberon, but they’re far from wallflowers simply along for the ride. Their input on the actual girth of the single is essential to making the song feel like a complete piece, and beside Oberon Rose in the video they round out a trio that doesn’t just sound like they’re ready for primetime – they look the part as well.
I really believe that “No Stranger” is going to be the music video to put Oberon Rose over the top and into the pop culture lexicon where they belong once and for all. If you watched this year’s MTV Video Music Awards then you already are up to date on the sorry state of affairs rock music is in right now, and these guys might be the perfect band to save the genre from becoming obscured by the commercial integers that control the establishment. It’s certainly a rebelliously stylized number, and what it lacks in aggression it makes up for in sheer vitality.
The future holds everything and anything for Oberon Rose as they embark on a tour in support of “No Stranger” and its parent album Tell Me All About It. I’d really like to hear some more stripped down stuff from this band in their next release; they obviously have a great songwriting backbone capable of delving into almost any aspect of their wide spectrum of tonality, and I want to see just how far they can go with it before running out of space. The true measurement of any recording artist is their ability to make music that transcends the boundaries set forth by the critics, and for this American threesome, nothing could be more paramount in their mission.
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-review by Jodi Marxbury
