Montreal post-punk band Ought have released a music video for “Disgraced in America”, taken from their forthcoming album, Room Inside The World, out on Feb. 16 via Merge Records.
“Disgraced in America” is a song led by Tim Darcy’s melodramatic, at times Bowie-esque and other times Ian Curtis-esque, lead vocals, which are so painstaking, impactful and heartwrenching, they would make an enthralling acapella track. The track also includes robotic keyboards, jangly, melodic guitars, crying horns and chaotic, dense percussion worth getting lost in.
The song’s video was directed by Heather Rappard, features glycerine as paint thinner and was painstakingly shot in 15-second increments over the course of three weeks.
Rappard said:
I wanted to create a video that morphed and visually changed in the same ways the song does: in the beginning, working with the bright guitar sound and the illustrative qualities of the lyrics, then moving into the abstract at the bridge’s breakdown, to the ending where it completely changes, becoming much noisier and darker with the percussion, spacey synths, and ringing guitar hits.
Ought’s Tim Darcy said of the video:
The term “microcosm” came to mind when I read Heather Rappard’s accompanying description for “Disgraced in America.” The way they worked on the song, second by second, opened up deeper layers than we’re used to. Anyone who’s tried to memorize a lyric or a melody will know how unseen worlds can open up when you dig in like that. Songs can last for days, years, fucking centuries, and then you pull your head out of the brook and maybe 15 seconds have passed.
Room Inside The World, the band’s third studio album, was featured on Paste’s list of the 20 most anticipated albums of 2018 and includes the previously released “These 3 Things.”
Watch the video for “Disgraced In America” below and preorder Room Inside The World here.