Put together during a time of extreme isolation in the wilderness of Appalachia, ‘Twisted World’ was the creation of Andrew Reed & The Liberation. The follow up to this release, their new single, ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’, is just as intense as their previous track, and comes with a raw, psychedelic, and somewhat disturbing music video.
‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ doesn’t give an inch, and continues with the relentlessly strident sound of ‘Twisted World’; intense, mystical, uncompromising. Despite the ferocity of the track it is nonetheless approachable, with a clarity that stands tall in spite of all the clamour and apparent madness.
The storyline of the song is about the “Great Certainty”: that transition we all experience when we pass from this life to the next. It is based on Andrew Reed’s own near-death experience, when he was caught up in a wave, taking him overboard in the Gulf of Alaska. It also expresses his emotions during a personal loss which sent him exploring the meaning of life itself. With ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’, Reed and his bandmates pursue this deep mystical journey through a sturdy and muscular melody, alongside incredible guitar riffs, drums, and an almost otherworldly sonic atmosphere. Recorded with proprietary Monroe Sound Science (consciousness altering technologies) during the recording process, the track gives more than a cursory nod toward psychedelia, while Reed’s vocals have the warmth and personality of roots rock: there’s more than a hint of metal in the track as well. Don’t however make the mistake of thinking you can pigeonhole this band’s sound – Andrew Reed & The Liberation follow no template, nor do they adhere to any specific style; this is rock at its most elemental.
The video for ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ continues the aesthetic first introduced in the clip for ‘Twisted World’, and brings into alignment the two songs.
As with the previous clip, The Liberation is captured in concert, with the live footage washed in a raw vibrant colour, with rippling light giving it the quality of water.
We see the musicians boldly mirrored, blurred out by sudden blasts of illumination, slowed and stretched for dramatic effect: they shine like celestial bodies from time to time. Images of cemeteries are interspersed among shots of the group in action, while underscoring the song’s themes of impermanence, destabilisation, persistence through hard times, and fierce determination. All the while they give us the great hope that we do indeed survive physical death, and there is really nothing to fear on the other side of life.
Watch the video for ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ below and find out more online about Andrew Reed & The Liberation and their music on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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