“Them Dirty Roses” is an artist who quite clearly has that something special about his voice – and his openness when writing – to really reach out to a wider audience. “Black Magic Lady” is beautiful, minimally set-up so that the power is in the vocal delivery and the gentle, raw sound of that acoustic guitar. Even the guitar, despite the seemingly clean-cut nature of the melody, has a very genuine and soulful sound to it – it feels like an on-the-spot performance, so real and passionate in itself. As an accompaniment for this – a stunning song, looking at love from a different angle – it works perfectly.
There’s something immediately captivating about this video, the simplicity of it in no way affects the strength – on the contrary, this single-scene style of film draws your focus to (and keeps it on) the central character; a part played so authentically that every emotion and every idea is expressed with the entire body – as opposed to merely by the lyrics.
The artist featured in the video offers plenty in the way of realness, and also in the way of individuality. The whole concept of an ‘artist’ generally incorporates more elements than that which is audible – it’s everything you appear to be, everything you put forth, everything you express. This video effectively changes the way you hear the song, because you’re seeing it performed right there in the moment, and the space created by the medium lets each idea resonate a little more intensely.
At four and a half minutes long, this really feels like a much more substantial single than the majority of pop-influenced, independent releases of late. This means that you get a little longer to revel in the sound, the chord progression, the optimism – and a little longer in the world of music can feel like a big deal. The way the song has been crafted means that each section is well thought out and effective, leading confidently and rhythmically into the next in a smooth and natural manner. The verses offer space, a touch of musical swagger, nothing too heavy – those lyrics appear as short lines; Them Dirty Roses ’s voice is where your focus is.
