Occasionally a music video captures the essence of a song so perfectly, the two become inseparable, allowing sparse affiliation of one with anything but the other. Megan Biscieglia, otherwise known as psychedelic spookfolk project Bad Braids (no, not Bad Brains), just made a video for her new single, “Mara”, and it embodies the exact grim and ominous environment set by the song’s tone. The video’s images exist in constant, dimly-lit dissolve: one is layered over the other, blurring together in spiraling disorientation, confounding the senses. Bodies of water and foliage float, or race by, behind Biscieglia’s billowing hair as she sings mournfully. The visual effects echo the music, as delicate and mysterious guitar pickings glide over backing organ undertones. Her voice is hushed and eerie, but forcefully resilient, pondering, “what is it I sow?” She sings almost in black and white, never approaching bombastic or overly emotional, but just enough so that it stirs, similarly to the curious subtleties of the video’s images.
The track is off Bad Braids’ Eye of the Night cassette, out today on Glowing Dagger. The full album is currently streaming on bandcamp. Tour dates are listed below:
