Norway’s The NaveBlues deliver their most eccentric release to date in the video for their new song “Pale Blue Dot,” but longtime fans needn’t fear that the group is departing from their signature sound – if anything, they’ve refined it rather brilliantly in this latest studio cut. Sharply directed and as original as they come, the music video for “Pale Blue Dot” engages us with its wildly imaginative plot, colorful aesthetics and at times self-deprecating theatrics, and though it’s easily among the zanier rock vids that I’ve reviewed in the whole of 2019, it’s also one of the most captivating by leaps and bounds. You don’t have to be familiar with The NaveBlues’ past works to get into this jam, but those who have heard their music before are certain to enjoy this vividly postmodern look for the group.
The music video is as strange a cocktail as the song itself is, and that’s no small statement to make when considering the former’s uniquely intergalactic theme. From an instrumental perspective, everything in “Pale Blue Dot” is structured as to draw us closer to the bludgeoning swing of the bassline; even when the vocal track is setting the forefront of the mix on fire with its melodic moxie, there’s never a point where our focus is turned away from the low-end tonality cushioning every lyrical blow. It’s almost jazz-like, but I’d stop short of describing this song as being the product of fusion-style experimentations. The NaveBlues are a tough crew to categorize, and in this day and age, that’s something to be pretty proud of.
“Pale Blue Dot” is a moody single entirely defined by the depth of its bassline, but without its carefully arranged percussion I don’t know that it would have been quite as haunting as it is in this present state. Though it might appear to be rather disheveled and uneven on paper, the construction of the beat in this track is sublimely erudite in nature, to such a degree where I think that most audiophiles will agree with me when I deem it one of the more intricately-crafted grooves to see widespread release this year. It’s abundantly clear that The NaveBlues are sticklers for detail in this single, and anyone who might have doubted their abilities prior to now would do well to give its video a look as soon as possible.
Listeners with an ear for the eclectic should make seeing the video for The NaveBlues’ “Pale Blue Dot” a top priority this August, as it definitely qualifies as one of the more fascinating left-field rock releases to debut out of the European underground in recent memory. It’s by no means a step into avant-garde territories, but discriminating music enthusiasts will probably find it to be a far more intriguing sound for this band than previous efforts had offered. I recommend keeping a close eye on The NaveBlues as the 2020s come into focus, because if they can stay on the track that they’re on right now, there should be no doubts across the board as to whether or not mainstream success is in their imminent future.
