Following on from our review of ‘Animal‘, we bring another track from Vanessa Carlton’s brand new album, ‘Veils’. ‘Great House’ sees Carlton call on the powerful senses of memory and permanence.
Carlton’s ethereal vocals are supported by her otherworldly synths, in such a way as to suggest the two should never be separated. She invites us to join her as she takes a journey deep in her memory, of a small wooden house, “like a castle”, bu the water, set beneath the wide open skies. She opens the door, and encourages us to go in deeper, to absorb the memories within.
The song is already poignant; but the music video makes it even more so. Crafted from images originally shot by Ivan Besse, a projectionist at the Strand Theatre, in Britton South Dakota, the footage was thought to be lost forever. In the 1980s however, it was discovered at an auction, where it sold for 50 cents. Archivist Rick Prelinger restored and digitised the films. They show everyday life in the 1930s, of locals going about their lives. These reels were screened before feature films, with the audience hoping to see themselves up on the big screen.
Paired with ‘Great House’, we see these people, now long dead, as they were, doing things we still do today. It’s nostalgic, while at the same time, we have the sense that these could be our friends, our family, our neighbours. These lives, once lived, live once more, reminding us that time passes for all of us, and yet, while life is fragile, it’s always possible to find beaty in it.
Watch the music video for ‘Great House’ below, and find out more about Vanessa Carlton and her music online on her official website, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
‘Veils’ is out now and can be streamed and downloaded here.
