"Seven days in hell..."

Here's how I feel about P.Wolf's new video.

Patrick Wolf - Vulture


I have not read/researched anything much about Patrick Wolf's "Battle" in an effort to hear it feverishly and without bias when it comes out. I did the same with U2's No Line on the Horizon, Yeah Yeah Yeah's It's Blitz, and Metric's Fantasies. I got the lead single off each, but that was it.

Anyway, moving on.

Not knowing much, this is what the video throws at me:

1) I like P.Wolf's hair. Not the long Legolas/Thor thing he has going on, but the mad scientist/Egon from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon/Agyness Deyn diva do that's intercut with him sprawling out in bondage gear with normalized hair. The normal floppy hair adds to the sense of vulnerability. The awesome up-wave adds to the sense of drama. I'm feeling it.

Here's Egon, btw


2) The licking of lips and camp gestures makes me worry for the current incarnation of Patrick Wolf's stage persona. I miss Wind in the Wires Patrick, or Lycanthropy Patrick where the sense of dark romanticism was there, and the drama, but not the overt staging of it. The focus felt more on the music than the thematic display in order to make a good viewing for audience members and people who are more visually entertained. Really, people will understand the music without contextualizing it that way.

3) From what little I have heard, Battle has some LA influence in it from his time there. That's pretty obvious.

4) I don't know what others drew from the video, but the dominance issue didn't appear ultimately sexual to me, but rather a conflict of personality. I felt like Patrick Wolf was postulating that the man being pushed down and subjugated in some form or another was his real self. The daily P.Wolf that none of us know (unless you legit know the guy), and right now, the rest, the flashes of dramatic shine and flash that we see are what we're going to get and who is currently reigning supreme. I feel like there's a reason why there's a vulture cape and a disco-y dare devilish suit - these are heightened sense of vicarious authority figures - mythic gods and heroes and glam rock or adrenaline fueled thrillseekers. But to me, the person who felt the most authentic was strapped down in the dog collar.


Anyone else? Thoughts?