Rex Orange County - "Sunflower" Video Review

Tom: 

            It's 1995 and you just graduated from high school.  Summer is here.  You're excited with what the future holds, but you're also feeling nostalgic.  You didn't get to tell the girl of your dreams how you really felt about her, and now you may never see her again.  That's exactly how Rex Orange County feels in his official video for his song "Sunflower".  The overall vibe of the song is upbeat and makes anyone want to get up and dance.  It starts with vinyl crackling and a single guitar and vocal, which adds to the nostalgic feel.  It then builds up to a full band and almost sounds like an Amy Winehouse track.  The sonic quality is superb which is a huge bonus. 

            The video takes place in North Hollywood.  In the beginning,  Rex is a shadow to everyone.  He is being overlooked, and unnoticed.  Not sure of what to do he sits around for a second and figures something out.  He gains some confidence and the people around are now aware of him and he is the center of attention.  Through the end of the video, everyone is having a great time and there is a wave of happiness.  Did Rex figure out how he will get his "Sunflower" to love him? Overall the video is very fun to watch.  The colors are very vibrant and it just has that "LA" look to it.  Watch the video and decide for yourself. 

Ray:

            When the song gets going it is very upbeat and fun, but it takes a pretty long time to get there. The introduction to the song lasted about a minute which is a bit too long for a four-minute song. I found the “radio” filter to be too overpowering, and made it hard to hear his voice. The lead singer has a very good voice and did not need it to be distorted in the beginning. Once the distortion goes off, the song becomes a million times better. Many people like this distortion and is popular among many artists now such as Meghan Trainor in Dear Future Husband. I personally do not like that distortion. The only other problem with the song itself is when the music all but stops, and he performs a weak rap. It does not fit with the rest of the song and seems like a hard stop in the middle. It just does not really flow well with the rest. During that part, it seems very awkward and forced upon the lead singer. Besides those complaints, it’s a really good song.

I think the vocalist and instrumentals are really good. His voice meshes really well with the relaxing vibe that they are going for. It is comparable to the Beatles in the sense that its relaxing and goes for the enjoyment side. It’s very instrumental focused. The overall sound is very organic and each instrument is clear. You could sit down and pick out each particular instrument. It’s a very funny and light hearted song that anyone can listen to. It is another love song that focuses on the positive aspects of a healthy relationship. The tone and vibe are where the song truly accelerates.

The video uses a lot of cool and interesting visuals such as the symmetry, depth, and colors. The director plays a lot with depth and filling up the screen. Many of the shots, he usually has the singer really close to the camera and everyone else in the back. It tells the audience that its about the main singer and his problems. It tells that everyone else is outside forces trying to cause problems for him. The bright colors match the happy and positive tone that the song is going for. His shirt being yellow really becomes the focal point for a lot of the scenes. It draws the eye to him and his shirt. There is not much of a story in the music video. It’s usually him hanging out with people. 

One problem I have is his friends chase him for some reason, and it is not shown why. A few seconds later, they are all friends again. It seems that they try to make a story and then just stops. They went for a fun and relaxing video and succeeds in doing so. It was visually interesting and the weirdness kept it unique. The goofy dancing at the end is a lot of fun and ends the video on a high note. It went for a happy tone and succeeded in doing so.