If there’s one thing Portland, Oregon is known for it’s throwing projectiles at lines of riot police until you inevitably get teargassed. If there are two things, it’s a robust dark music scene that by my estimation might have the most somber and pissed bands by number in the whole US. This situation has proven to provide us with potent artists, new and old, releasing sonic wave after wave of some of the best disconsolate concepts and songs. Among the tried and true are MURDERBAIT, veterans of their craft hailing from more projects than we care to name over the years and they show no signs of stopping with their latest music video When The Sun Goes Down, It Goes Down Forever. The title reminds me of my dad who used to scream at the dusk every night on the beach for the sun to never return, knowing full well it would in some zen exercise of futility. But vocalist Case Logan has his own explanation.
The song, and the video is about a lifelong struggle with depression. The song touches on a desperation to find anything to cure the despair – to find some reason to keep going. Having personally tested the extents of religion, spirituality, relationships, medication, and various therapies, I found them all lacking in one way or another. The song is about finding solace and beauty even in the pain of existence. Something nature (and a fair amount of mushrooms) helped me to realize. Recognizing that we are a part of nature, and embracing our animalistic roots that are interconnected with the ecosystems we live in has been the one path that has given me any lasting hope.
These days we’ve got no shortage of despair, so why not add a soundtrack to it? This mid-tempo eulogy does just the trick for the road-worn psychonaut reminiscent of Nick Cave’s crooner side but with a bit more thunder rhythmically. The video itself is not only beautifully shot with intention but provides us a plot wherein our protagonist will stop at nothing to find happiness, often not realizing it’s right in front of him.
The video comes on the tails of 2019’s EP of the same title, available digitally and on cassette here. We can’t wait for more from our rain-soaked comrades-at-arms, especially if it’s anywhere near this level of profession and execution!
