Of Ennui
One of the most visually arresting local music videos in recent memory, “Doom in Bloom” by Chula Vista’s Of Ennui tells a surrealistic tale of a flawed relationship, soundtracked by a shape-shifting, atmospheric song that the band must have suffered fate to uncover.
Among the charms of this video is its playful subversion of narrative expectations. The brightness of the forest backdrop creates an air of clarity and comfort, while the intensity of the music and the sheer artistic violence of the story we see play out between the two central characters creates a meaningful sense of conflict amid an otherwise serene setting.
Through thick layers of screaming guitars, precise metal-influenced rhythms, and languid, sparse vocals, the band allows the complex emotions explored in the song to slowly marinate, evolving from an ethereal drone into an apocalyptic sludge that pits humankind against itself. Each dynamic flourish in the song is accompanied by a sharp turning point in the storyline, and just when “Doom in Bloom” appears to peak, an unexpected, menacingly tight turnaround ushers in an even more powerful section that perfectly encapsulates the band’s character and takes their vision full-circle. Over the length of the six-minute runtime, Of Ennui create a cinematic world that never runs out of surprises.
Of Ennui by Josh Nava
Although it is purposefully somewhat difficult to unpack the visual metaphors presented and piece together exactly what happens in the story, that doesn’t detract from the video’s enjoyment. We as viewers are thrown into a dire situation without much else to grab onto but a mountain of seething instruments, perhaps befitting of the band’s atmospheric intent. Needless to say, there are some interesting conceptual choices weaved into the video that pay off extremely well for Of Ennui. The song’s push-pull dynamics fit like a glove with the tense, turbulent shots of the couple we see fighting on screen, stuck between worlds, letting the frayed ends of their emotions get the best of them. Check out more music from the band here, and preorder the vinyl for their latest album Tone Poems here.