Vacant Eyes (Single 2020)

The Boy I Used To Be

Expressive Melancholic Music

The so-called creative people, writer, artists and musicians might know the feeling having a lack of inspiration and remaining static. But today we are proud to present: The Productive Boy!

Just short time after “Seabed”, The Boy I Used To Be finished his next single “Vacant Eyes”. It is one of his catchiest songs so far, with an open guitar melody and a strong chorus making even think of alt-J. A decent bass drum underlines the words “waiting at the desk to check into a room for two with an idyllic view”.

Those words are accompanied by a burning cigarette and a 70s movie pool top perspective. The music video features stock footage of eyes because of the title and reminding of Leone or ideas of Itchy, and, typical for the boy, the sea amongst others. All those images are to be seen projected on a wall, while the boy is playing in front of it.

Video wizard Thomas Leitner, who also was responsible for the animatic video of “Bern”, gave the whole thing a beautiful light blue colored look and put it in Cinemascope. “In a loop of endless dreams, where animals speak and the devil is full of grace”, the boy sings in the second verse, while the dream part of the material reminds of Nekrogoblikon and Black Metal videos, and the cover of e.g. Downfall Of Gaia.

The second chorus gets a flipping rhythm, which reminds of Finnish End Of August. The final part is strumming on the acoustic guitar, bringing more dynamic, visualized by some driving on a road and feet walking through sand. And this tension plus the pictures going up the horizon and beyond make it not only one of the catchiest but also uplifting songs in the back catalogue of The Boy I Used To Be.