The Exponents “Close”

1997-the-exponents-closeThe second track of the Exponents’ final studio album, “Close” is an uplifting love song, but the video takes an interesting approach. The video has a dark, blue-grey palette, going for a gloomy look in a bleak warehouse setting. It’s a styley look, but it seems at odds with the lyrics.

Occasionally song lyrics are shown spelled out in colourful magnets letters on the side of a fridge. And the fridge shows up again, with individual band members shown inside the fridge, lit with a cold, blue tones. Are they meant to be corpses, rocking out from beyond the grave? Or are they just, you know, chillin’.

Clocking in at five minutes, the song is about a minute too long, losing momentum along the way. It feels like the band were going for the epic songs Oasis were doing on “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?”, but just ended up stretching out a shorter song.

Likewise, it feels like a video for a shorter song that’s been edited into a longer version. But then, maybe it’s a metaphor for life beyond the grave and/or love.

Best bit: Jordan’s sequinned top, a hint of glamour in a bleak world.

Director: Joe Lonie
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… the dads’ day out.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *