Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Once

Once by GothicNarcissusHere we are, at careful distance.
Here’s my heart, what’s left of it.
In this town, I used to listen,
Once, once, yeah...

I had hope, blind faith,
Had as much as you could take.

I’m only gonna let you kill me
Once, once, once, yeah.
Once, once, once, yeah.
Once, once, once, yeah.
I’m only gonna let you kill me once.

Ashes burn the morning after.
Only know I’m here to stay.
I was so, I let you see me;
That was dumb, but that’s OK.
Tripping down to your place.
What is love anyway?

I’m only gonna let you kill me
Once, once, once, yeah.
Once, once, once, yeah.
Once, once, once, yeah.
I’m only gonna let you kill me once.

Who or whatever you do,
Don’t let anyone hurt you.
Touch them where it hurts
And watch them leave.

[ Once – Hurts ]

So, remember when I complained about Hurts covering Bruno f*cking Mars? Well, the source material isn’t much better in the case of Once, originally by a Diana Vickers, which Hurts covered during the Happiness era (I don’t know if they released it officially somewhere). Seriously, the original is as dull as it can be, with boring chords, a boring arrangement, an even more boring vocal performance… and yet, Hurts’ version is so beautiful and inspirational, rich with raw emotion. Therefore, Locked Out Of Heaven I included mostly out of pedantry, but Once I did want to be in the project.
And yes, this was the photo I was trying to shoot when Locked Out Of Heaven happened instead. See, it was visually nice, alright, but just too tame: the general direction was that, but it lacked the sheer nervousness of the cello, the gut-punching emotion of the final chorus… it was still a bit Vickers-ish in terms of impact, until I realised it could be Locked Out Of Heaven. But for Once, I had to step up the game.

In general, when thinking of a visual rendition, I decided to do a fashion-oriented photo but set it in a domestic location, so it would retain the posh imagery I associate with Hurts music without losing genuineness. The idea was rather sketchy and undefined, hence why the multiple attempts that took a life of their own.
I was basically aming at a moning-after kind of situation in which one of the partners is leaving (offscreen) and the other one is torn: there’s still passion and feelings and desire, but self-respect is emerging and causing an inner conflict of sorts. Thus, the stark contrast between highlights and shadows, the messy bed, the clenched fists on the stretched sweater. The first two I nailed in Locked Out Of Heaven, too, but I think the sweater trick is what sells the raw emotions here. I’m glad I tried to take it to the next level, I’m very satisfied with this photo.

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Locked Out Of Heaven

Locked Out Of Heaven by GothicNarcissusNever had much faith in love or miracles,
Never wanna put my heart on the line.
But swimming in your love is something spiritual,
I’m born again every time you spend the night.

‘Cause your sex takes me to paradise,
Takes me to paradise
And it shows, it shows.

‘Cause you make me feel like
I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long.

You bring me to my knees, you make me testify,
You can make a sinner change his ways.
Open up your gate, ‘cause I can’t wait to see the light
And right here is where I wanna stay.

‘Cause your sex takes me to paradise,
Takes me to paradise
And it shows, it shows.

‘Cause you make me feel like
I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long.
You make me feel like
I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long.

[ Locked Out Of Heaven – Hurts ]

You know those moments when you’re going for something, but can’t quite reach it, but then you realise you’ve actually got something else entirely?
Well, that’s this photo. I was trying to pull off another work for the Inspiration Hurts project, but didn’t really capture what I wanted, until I realised this photo embodied pretty well Hurts’s cover of Bruno Mars’ cheese. How these guys could turn it into a compelling (albeit still highly melodramatic) song is anybody’s guess, but it felt wrong to cut it out of the project and I’m glad its visual rendition kind of fell onto my lap.

Of course, the everyday-life-meet-fashion-photography feel was more of a leftover from the concept I was originally working with, but it still fits the general mood of the song. Besides, I couldn’t go too holy and sacred with the visuals because in this project alone we already have Miracle and Heaven, and I need to differentiate. Look, it’s nice but it’s still a Bruno Mars cover, it can’t get all the good stuff.
Anyway, I think the contrast between highlights and shadows is what sells it: the head is facing backwards, to the darkness, while the rest of the body is already facing forward to the light. meaning that the exile from heaven isn’s quite over yet, but is’s about to be. I’m rolling with it.