Huge creativity on zero budget
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Gifted singer-songwriter Fionn Regan has released a clever and original low-cost vid that puts the majority of big budget music promos to shame.For his latest single Be Good Or Be Gone, Regan delivers the pretty yet defiant song direct to camera in increasingly ridiculous locations, including an elevator, a barber shop, and most memorably, a woodland stream. What's more, Regan sings live throughout, braving the indignity of being drowned out by ambient noise and bustle. Though strictly D-I-Y, the video is tailor-made for the young Irishman. For one, the concept is a lovely metaphor for his style of highly literate folk music, which often struggles to be heard amidst the gaudy bluster of contemporary pop. But then, Regan's music is much concerned with loss and loneliness, as evidenced in the wistful turn of phrase at the song's climax, "I've become an aerial view of a coastal town you once knew." This reverence for words is neatly captured in the book store scene, where Regan lowers his voice to a whisper (which he doesn't do when singing in a church). The video is clearly imbued with the playfulness found on Regan's terrific debut album The End of History. A sense of humor that's notably absent from the work of fellow folkies, the supposed Dylan-a-likes, Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice. As with the best comedy, Regan plays the whole thing straight, remaining deadpan no matter how absurd the backdrop, like a mop-topped, guitar-strumming Buster Keaton.The video ends with a chorus of bird-song, delicate yet demanding to be heard, which perfectly fits Regan's sensitive but sturdy spirit. Congratulations to the young directors, Si & Ad, for crafting a music promo that cuts through the noise. Links: "MP3s on Off The Record":http://marchonelectricchildren.blogspot.com/2007/01/fionn-regan.html "A beautifully written biographical essay by Regan on Drowned in Sound":http://www.drownedinsound.com/bands/4812
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