We’re in the midst of bleak times right now, there’s no hiding it. 2020 has been but a series of severely unfortunate events adding onto the pile with each passing day, and COVID-19 has proven itself as an issue set to linger around at least for the foreseeable future. In such times, I often find myself resorting to music to make sense of things. What are musicians making? What music reflects how the world feels, and how are people using their voices to create that soundtrack?
Quiet Luke has always been a resource in these contemplations. His art is inherently deep, for lack of a better word, and its source material is sincere emotion – both in an external and internal sense. This very fact has always pushed his music to the forefront when it comes to art as a reflection of reality, and Luke’s latest release – “Void Exit Blues” – is no different.
Just under three minutes in length, “Void Exit Blues” begins with the crushing combination of an acoustic guitar, a heart-wrenching bassline, and Luke’s vocals. It’s simple, but the emotion in the song grows with every passing lyric, only to be pressed against beautifully-distorted guitars after each verse. Meanwhile, in a visual sense, Luke offers a brilliant connection between present and past as he balances scenes of himself with iconic pop culture references – Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain, and Kanye West, to name a few. As these instantly-recognizable figures cross the screen with black-and-blue coloring, the bleakness and resulting beauty in “Void Exit Blues” become apparent.
Luke’s vision – in conjunction with one of my favorite video directors out, Ayodeji Ogunlana – uses real-life context to heighten the stakes of the art. As a result, “Void Exit Blues” is crushingly beautiful in a way that builds off of the unfortunate stance of the world, and for this reason, it’s worth far more than what I can describe with a few descriptive words in a blog post.
This is some of Quiet Luke’s finest work to date, so be sure to check out the new offering below:
Directed by Quiet Luke
Co-Directed and Edited by Ayodeji Ogunlana