We last saw Aerial in the mundane setting of the Huapai takeaway shop, but things get more glam with “Come Around Again”. The video is like a scrapbook of travel mementos from the mid-20th century, back when air travel was fancy and exciting.
To ground things in reality, the video is bookended live action scenes of the duo singing in a recording studio. It’s deep in the mixing desk that the travel adventure begins, with the cables and plugs echoing images of power lines and a manual telephone exchange.
The rest of the video is animated, but not in a cartoony way. There are lots of still shots and layers of travel icons and other symbols of the era – maps, air mail letters, rotary phones and telegrams. And as the NZ On Screen description notes, it is a very rewarding video, with layers of delight to uncover.
The issue for me is that the song itself isn’t especially remarkable, a pretty forgettable MOR love song. The video ends up being way more interesting than the song. I’d rather print out screenshots and enjoy the visuals as a series of postcards than in music video form.
Director: Guy Tichborne
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… achievement unlocked.