Local emocore troubadours Conditions, who really impressed us with their 2010 debut album, Fluorescent Youth, have returned with their long-anticipated followup, Full Of War, which was released last week on Good Fight Records. “Open Eyes” is the first single from that album, and it features a dramatic, action-packed video that is sure to grab your attention.
Local emocore troubadours Conditions, who really impressed us with their 2010 debut album, Fluorescent Youth, have returned with their long-anticipated followup, Full Of War, which was released last week on Good Fight Records. “Open Eyes” is the first single from that album, and it features a dramatic, action-packed video that is sure to grab your attention.
Conditions vocalist Brandon Roundtree has stated that “‘Open Eyes’ is a song about the real world vs. the perceived world. This video shows the dangers of living in the latter of the two.” Brandon stars in the video as well, which has a plot that kind of reminds me of the Ewan McGregor/Cameron Diaz movie A Life Less Ordinary, only with an added dose of infidelity. Add in thievery, confrontation with deadly weapons, and a literally steamy shower love scene, and you’ve got a recipe for a spellbinding video. Crazily enough, the shower scene is not the only interlude of physical intimacy in the video, and although things stay just this side of NSFW, you definitely get a few glimpses of some serious skin from both male and female actors in the video. Plus a really dramatic ending, which I won’t spoil for you.
As for the music, Conditions have scaled back to a four-piece since their first album, due to the departure of founding rhythm guitarist Jason Marshall last fall. However, the double-tracked guitar lines in the verses of “Open Eyes,” with a low chugging rhythm part adding heft to a higher melody line, prove that Conditions are still able to create their previous thick guitar sound. And then there’s the chorus, in which Brandon’s high, clear tenor mingles well with an ascending sequence of chords to create a beautiful, uplifting melodic hook. I haven’t heard all of the new album yet, but if “Open Eyes” is any indication, Full Of War will be every bit the equal of Conditions’ excellent debut. I look forward to getting a copy (grab one for yourself right here), but until I do, I’ll just be playing this video over and over. And loving every minute of it.
By Andrew Necci
