Image
Bands

Jackson VanHorn Croons a Ballad of Hopelessness in his Surreal Video for “Common Era”

“You can be optimistic, and totally without hope.” – Francis Bacon

After the disbanding of his previous bands TV Ghost and Phases, Jackson VanHorn embarked on a solo musical venture. After a slew of demos, self-recorded singles, a mini-LP, and touring, Jackson VanHorn’s musical craft came into its own with the release of last year’s debut EP, After The Rehearsal, followed by the Reworked EP, a digital collection of reworked songs made by the artist.

The latest track and video, “Common Era”, is a ballad to dissociation, detachment, and processing grief. The loss of time, the confusion, and the muddling of emotion take centre stage here. Channeling Nick Cave, Richard Hawley, Peter Murphy, and Jarvis Cocker, this is a track that oozes a hopeless emotion, welling up with melancholy but putting on a brave mask.

The video clip is a beautifully-conceived surrealist romp, evoking the imagery of isolation and defeat by echoing artists like the mirror reflections of Rene Magritte, the boxed figures of Francis Bacon, the melted humans of Dalí, the silent waiting of Marina Abramović, and the never-ending stairs of MC Escher. Use of projections and drawings take us through the labyrinthine psyche of engulfing grief and nightmares.

Watch the video for “Common Era” below:

A Silent Understanding explores the collapse of the individual within the context of a contemporary capitalist society, capturing the despondency and darkness felt by its widespread effects. A Silent Understanding merges literary and cinematic influences with philosophical attentiveness, peeling back the veiled facade of society and holding a mirror to the self. Both contemporary and timeless in its commentary, this record views the world through a critical lens. It acknowledges historical parallels (particularly in times of plague), while harbouring frustration and disappointment. The world hurts both environmentally and socio-economically… leaving one acutely aware whilst crushed in deafening silence.

“Despite the tenebrosity, this new record is not completely devoid of light,” VanHorn concludes.

Listen below and preorder here.

Follow Jackson VanHorn:

Alice Teeple

Alice Teeple is a photographer, multidisciplinary artist, and writer. She is not in Tin Machine.

Recent Posts

  • Bands

Los Angeles Synth-Pop Outfit Male Tears Releases Self-Titled Debut Album on Vinyl for the First Time

I’ve been swimming in an ocean of tears I went swimming in all of my fears And every day is…

1 day ago
  • Bands

Beauty and Despair — Swiss Coldwavers Future Faces Drift Among the Ashes of Lost Tomorrows in “Memoria”

Our entire life Was like a spell of beauty and despair This old delusion Hectic with our own selfish thirst…

2 days ago
  • Bands

Chasing Ghosts by the Black Sea — Georgia-based Darkwavers Chronotape Release Poignant “Strangers” EP

Yesterday is history And today is just misery So we say "Long live the King" Oh, he ruined everything Hailing…

2 days ago
  • Bands

Melbourne Artist Claire Birchall Blends Tremulous Art Pop Melodies With Gothic Undertones in “The Haunting”

I don’t mean to rain on your parade But sometimes when I bend, I break Australian artist Claire Birchall, Melbourne's…

3 days ago
  • Bands

NYC Darkwavers MIDNIGHTCHOIR Release Spine-tingling Video for “Tempted” From Their “Temptation (Demos)” EP — Plus Review

You can keep your revolution if we can't dance to it. Because we're not going out on our knees.  We're…

3 days ago
  • Bands

Guitarist Slim Dunlap of The Replacements Passes Away at 73

The Replacements' guitarist Bob “Slim” Dunlap has passed away at 73, leaving behind a legacy as enduring as the melodies…

3 days ago
Sticky Footer Banner with Close Button