The Shills – “Oh, This Devilish Place” (video) (premiere)

Boston band the Shills have created an interesting hybrid of sounds on their latest album Keep Your Hands Busy, Vol. 2, enough to frustrate any critic from making quick reference points for readers. There’s a touch of the angularity of post-hardcore, the effervescence of indie pop, the abstract nature of psychedelic rock, and the technical proficiency of progressive rock. A great example is the album’s first track “Oh, This Devilish Place”, a glossy, shimmering ear worm of a track that wriggles its way into your head with its sunny melodies and harmonies, not to mention some fantastic hand-claps at one point.

As it happens the band has put together a gorgeous-looking video for the track, one that pays tribute to their home city, and which is well worth watching.

The video was shot at four different locations around Boston throughout the course of a few weeks — one of those locations being Upstairs on the Square, a restaurant which no longer exists,” the band says. “It was also filmed outdoors in Charlestown, at [director] Strewnshank’s studio and at the Jose Mateo Ballet Theater in Cambridge. Strewnshank had the cool idea of adding the kaleidoscope effect to the bridge to accentuate the semi-psychadellic vibe that’s happening there. As for the rest of the video, the themes behind the imagery were to create a sort of collage with a few different forms of art and beauty.”

Keep Your Hands Busy, Vol. 2 is out now. Purchase it on iTunes.