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Photo: Lussia Kamberian

REW<< – "Our Houses, Built on Sand" (video) (premiere)

REW<< once again channels beautifully sparse introspection on this initial peek into his upcoming LP, On the Horns of Our Spheres.

On his first two solo records—2014’s Departeures and 2015’s Olive Skinned Silver Tongued Sirens Sing Swan Songs—DIY musician REW<< (the pseudonym of Ryan E. Weber, who’s also one-half of dream pop duo Eric & Magill) demonstrated his mastery of melding poignant melodies and lyricism with gorgeously varied production and instrumentation. Having also worked with and learned from several admired indie artists, such as members of the Dirty Projectors, Shearwater, Volcano Choir, and Sylvan Esso, it’s no surprise that he’s able to compose such wondrous works.

Luckily, his latest video, “Our Houses, Built on Sand”, continues that excellence. Taken from his upcoming album, On the Horns of Our Spheres, the video complements the already beautifully quaint and moving track with appropriately cryptic yet powerful imagery, yielding a captivatingly sorrowful experience from beginning to end.

Centered around Weber’s devastating melancholic tone and “an emotional and steadily pulsing acoustic piano”, the song’s sparseness makes it instantly gripping; however, the addition of strings near the end elevates it into a heartbreaking symphonic gem that acts as “a personal contemplation regarding falling from grace and losing stature with one’s community”. Likewise, the accompanying video—directed by Ilshat Gubaidullin—artfully uses a red ribbon as the through line connecting close-up shots of nature, faces, and a heterosexual couple both entwined and separated (presumably touching on the universal theme of troubled romance). As such, Gubaidullin actually evokes the mysterious and profound experimentation of filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky and Terrence Malick. Clearly, he and Weber make for a perfect creative team.

As for the entire On the Horns of Our Spheres album, Weber describes it as offering “a more intimate, singular, and personal feeling” than past releases. Judging by the sentimental splendor of “Our Houses Built on Sand”, the entire sequence is sure to be quite moving. You can find out just how much on 27 April when On the Horns of Our Spheres releases via Silverside Records.