As winter begins to set in across New England, the calm season allows time for perspective and reflection, both of what was lost over the past year but also what is set to be gained in the time ahead. And while what’s outside our eyes may appear to be tranquil, what exists within us is a beast about to be unleashed.
Looking back to mourn while facing down inner demons is a central theme of “Struck,” the dramatic new dark-synth collaboration between Providence electronic music producer CARV.R and Boston alt-pop luminary Casey Desmond. The propulsive track dropped this past Friday (December 10), complete with striking visual directed by Mary Lee Desmond and filmed up in the Vermont wilderness and at the Magic Room music and arts gallery in Norwood.
“’Struck’ is what we consider to be the silver lining from a time when both Casey and I were going through the loss of friends,” says CARV.R. “For me, ‘Struck’ became a reminder to always live life as fully as I can on my own terms because it is fleeting and fragile. Casey was able to direct the energy of her own loss in a positive way through her heart-wrenching lyrics. I am grateful that her performance complimented my production beautifully and we were able to come together and transmute our experiences into this collaboration.”
In the video, the juxtaposition of the open-air landscape and enclosed stage space is an inspired one, unifying the confines of a mental state with the escapism of the woods, especially as it pertains to coming to grips with the emotions of personal loss and how we internalize and cope in our own way. On the track, CARV.R’s razor-sharp electro production provides a torrent of sound that cradles Desmond’s aching vocals, and it all adds up to a cinematic spin of sound and visual that’s hard to turn away from.
But then, that idea is central to the collab. And like the twist of the video’s wild plot line (we’d watch an hour-long version of this elf-goth’s story), all that matters in the end is how one rises up against adversity.
“Without a doubt, every one of us has tasted the flavor of betrayal,” adds Desmond. “In the case of ‘Struck,’ it’s the guttural, abusive, and heart-wrenching kind. The lyrics invoke the essence of deep personal experience while remaining relatively ambiguous and socially applicable. When one is facing down the reality of the death of a relationship, they must do so through forgiveness or risk a lifetime of the aftermath. It’s at the crossroad that we battle our own consciousness and morals.”
Allow “Struck” to be the compass that guides.
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