electronic rock, indie electro rock, Indie Synth Pop, indie synth rock, New Video, Synth Pop, synth rock, Video, Video Review Video
by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Neon Bright and Surreal Visuals for Deep Sea Diver’s “See These Eyes”

Perhaps best known as an accomplished side person, who has spent several years as a touring member of The Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Spoon and Beck‘s backing band, the Seattle, WA-based multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jessica Dobson decided in 2013 that it was time to fully commit herself to her own band Deep Sea Diver, comprised of her husband Peter Mansen (drums), Garret Gue (bass) and Elliot Jackson (guitar and synth).

Recorded with Darrell Thorpe, best known for his work with Radiohead and Beck, and Luke Vanderpol, Deep Sea Diver’s recently released sophomore effort Secrets reportedly has the band experimenting and expanding upon their sound as the material bounces between rock experimentation, dreamy soundscapes, motorik and Krautrock-like grooves, angular New Wave, orchestral arrangements and stripped down simplicity. Secrets‘ latest single “See These Eyes” has the band pairing slashing and angular guitar chords with a propulsive, four-on-the-floor drumming, a sinuous bass line and layers of gently cascading synths and an anthemic hook with Dobson’s sensual and urgent vocals in a song that sounds indebted to It’s Blitz!-era Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Talking Heads and Entertainment! and Solid Gold-era Gang of Four. Lyrically, the song peeks into the psyche of a complex but very real, breathing narrator — a woman who possesses the uncommon strength and resolve of a survivor but with a guileless vulnerability and earnestness.

 

Directed by Jesse Lamar High and Nik Harper of LAMAR + NIK, the recently released video for “See These Eyes” has Deep Sea Diver’s Dobson’s commanding color simply by pointing her finger at her bandmates clothing and seeing their outfits quickly change color. Continuing with a neon bright color palette, the members of the band find themselves in playfully surreal situations — at one point Dobson is suspended upside down from a ladder, other members of the band enter and leave series of doorways and there’s a Dave Matthews cameo, in which he wears a t-shirt that reads “CAMEO.” It’s playfully surreal and captures the buoyant and shimmering, dance floor-friendly sound of the song.

Deep Sea Diver are in the middle of a Pacific Northwest, Northwest and Alaska tour. Check out tour dates below.

TOUR DATES:

 03/14 – Missoula, MT – Stage 112 *
03/15 – Spokane, WA – Bartlett Theater *
03/16 – Seattle, WA – Neumos *
03/17 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore *
3/18 – Anchorage, AK – Taproot
3/19 – Anchorage, AK – Taproot
3/23-27 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Fest
5/20 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios

5/27-30 – George, WA – Sasquatch! Music Festival

* = w/ Radiation City