Hillsburn have released ‘Cover It Up’, the third video from their upcoming album, The Wilder Beyond. We’re big fans of Hillsburn. The biggest. Their debut album, In The Battle Years, was earth shattering. Full of strings and harmonies, it immediately grabbed us with their fresh take on a folky vibe, not to mention Rosanna Burrill’s powerhouse lungs. Their live shows were equally impressive. That being said, brace yourselves, because this is a compliment sandwich.
We’d never go so far as to say, “But we only like their earlier stuff.” Bands evolve, they change, they grow. Or, they stagnate and perform the same three hits on nostalgia-fueled reunion tours.
Hillsburn’s shift towards a more pop-centric sound was almost inevitable and likely a smart move. They’ve released two other videos from their new album (‘Strange Clouds’ and ‘Bad Behaviours‘) with not only a poppier feel, but with decidedly darker undertones. Both tracks suit us just fine; they provided a change we knew was coming. But with the third video out now, ‘Cover It Up’ is a marked trend. We’re also not sure what to make of it.
The video itself is like a metaphor for when you’re just not feeling it; no matter how professional you’re required to be, there’s no getting into that headspace. The protagonist is placed at odds with the crowd around her, who only seem energized by her actions.
There’s a shift midway where the actress makes the decision to leave and, like a kid who’s just found out their mom is coming to pick them up from school, immediately feels better. That is, until she comes to the conclusion that she’s going to return to the task, and discovers she’s still not feeling it.
Maybe that’s just life and we can’t be expected to be pleased with everything that comes at us.
The metaphor might be hard to grasp, but there’s still no shortage of love for Hillsburn here. They’ve impressively been self-producing these videos, and there are moments when they absolutely shine. We’d be happy if this video were reduced to a loop of multi-instrumentalist Jackson Fairfax-Perry and manager Nigel Jenkins going to town on those cheezies, interspersed with the occasional table flip.
The Wilder Beyond is due out February 2nd, 2018.
Tour Dates:
01.18.18 – Montreal, QC @ Divan Orange
01.19.18 – Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre
01.20.18 – Fredericton, NB @ Shivering Songs Festival
03.03.18 – East Margaretsville, NS @ Evergreen Theatre
03.08.18 – Waterbury, VT @ Zenbarn
03.10.18 – Windsor, NS @ Mermaid Theatre