How did Tadpole end up making such bleak videos? Their earlier ones were lively, cool works that showcased the band’s pop-rock talents. But it seems that in later years the band got very very serious, like a teenager dying their hair black.
Yet “Nothing New” is a very stylish video, with Renee dressed as an ice princess of sorts, queen of a winter wonderland, elaborately decorated with flamingos, a bird not usually found in cold climates.
The rest of the band is arranged behind her – guitarist to the left, bassist to the right, drummer directly behind her. And here’s the thing – they barely move. All the band members stand as still as possible, moving only for the slightly effort required to play their instrument or sing. The contrast is noticeable in the chorus where it’s clearly audible that the band are rocking real hard as, yet they’re only shown doing their little twitching movements.
It results in a tension. The song is about a relationship breakdown and the video does help portray that stress, so good on the video makers for achieving that.
But there’s another part of me that is annoyed with the video. “Nothing New” is a good single, but the video shuts down a lot of the energy the song has. The visuals manage to suppress the wilder rock side and make it feel like a ballad. And, ok, Renee looks fabulous dressed as the ice queen, but I remember when she used to jump around a lot. I want Tadpole to party like it’s 1999.
Best bit: the bass player’s flick of the head, the one concession to the lure of the rhythm.
Directors: Alex Sutherland, Michael Lonsdale
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… wet t-shirt time.
Yeah, sums up the band. Their first album was fun and I still listen to it from time to time. I listened to the singles off this the other day and they are so dull and dreary! This is the best, but it’s still lacking something compared to the first album.