Interpol – “The Heinrich Maneuver” (VIDEO)
From the Capitol Records release, Our Love to Admire (7/10/07)
Directed by E. Elias Merhige
Post-punk / Indie rock
Stream it on MTV.com
Interpol’s new album, Our to Love to Admire is set for a July 10 release, and this track has apparently already reached #16 on Billboard‘s U.S. Modern Rock chart. While it probably won’t have the same staying power as Modern Rock record-holders “It’s Been Awhile” or “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (because it just doesn’t suck at all, let alone nearly as much as either of those), it’s solid alternative radio hit that was a good selection as a first single off of the new album.
Yes, they still sound like Joy Division and Kitchens of Distinction, but it’s safe to say that while a lot of the sound that made Turn on the Bright Lights such an instant classic is still prevalent, the band is certainly trimming its nails a bit more to appeal to the masses. Paul Banks vocals seem to be devoid of what has now become an almost trademark reverb. Not a bad thing, though, as this is still, in terms of musical quality, light years beyond either of the aforementioned Modern Rock record-holders.
But the video is really what we’re here for, and at first glance I was really irritated that it took so long for the damn thing to unfold. For the first 45 seconds or so, we see a woman staring into a pocket mirror, from her perspective, until finally a man dressed as a busboy is seen emerging from the background, running towards her slowly. And voila, there it is… I’ve only seen about a minute of it and I already know it’s about scorned love. The camera slowly pans out (the entire thing is shot in slo-mo, giving it a dreamy tone) as we see an older man (presumably either an agent or a sugar daddy) and an older woman (presumably a washed-up movie star) standing on either side of the young lady who looks like a Kyra Sedgwick/Kate Bosworth combo. After realizing that he’s no longer wanted there, the busboy slowly shrinks into the background like the insignificant peon that he is, and the video ends abruptly as the smiling woman walks into the street and gets run over by a bus. No, you don’t actually see it happen, but you know it happens.
Upon further research, I uncovered that indeed, this song and video are a dig by Banks at an ex-lover who abandoned him to move out to Hollywood to try and make it big. I’ve been there. It does suck. And the girl getting hit by the bus at the end, while lacking subtlety, is a nice touch. The beginning of the video is shot with a film grain, another nice touch that gives it a vintage Hollywood, Great Gatsby feel (thanks to director E. Elias Merhige, best-known for films Shadow of the Vampire, Suspect Zero and Begotten). Though it might take a few views to soak in, this is actually a pretty damn well-executed video. And the album should be good, too.
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