Sunny and bright, colorful and consistent, the music video for Little Hurt’s new single “Alaska” is – on the surface, at least – the antithesis of what most people would think of when the name of the northernmost state is mentioned. There’s nothing even about mountain ranges or valleys, nor is there a lot of sunshine and color in the midst of an icy tundra, but in the case of Little Hurt’s “Alaska,” all of these elements are what comprise the backbone of the song’s best qualities.
The video is an extension of the narrative through both its whimsy and the textured visual experience that it affords us; in more ways than one, this attitude is a direct reflection of the source material (albeit an ironic one). Little Hurt isn’t shattering the mold with his pop/rock creation, but if you ask me, he’s dishing out one of the more memorable harmonies of the summer so far in this latest single, which could be the most compositionally well-rounded he’s released under this newly-minted solo moniker.
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The percussion here has a rather plasticized feel, but to be honest I get the impression that this was completely intentional on the part of Little Hurt. There’s a component of contrast that is afforded to the master mix in putting something as artificially-varnished as this drumbeat is beside a beacon of natural charm in the lead vocal, and although some might consider the concept our singer is toying with in “Alaska” to be a rather indulgent one (aesthetically speaking), I think it’s a bit more original than a lot of the chart-toppers in pop/rock this year.
The vocal is warm and sharp, driving the harmony home and alluding the noisy rasp of the black and white groove with exceptional agility, and because the mix spreads the main focus across all of the instrumentation here, it never feels lopsided or singularly-produced. Little Hurt was thinking out the minute details in this recording, and for all of his efforts it’s the audience then ends up walking away with the greatest rewards to be had.
If this is just a taste of Colin Dieden’s future as Little Hurt, I’m all in for hearing what he’s going to cook up in the recording studio next. There’s a lot of different influences to his sound that are still coming to the surface in his work – after all, this is only his fourth official single as a solo artist. With the chops he’s showing off here I think he’s going to be ready to produce a full-length studio album a lot sooner than later, but even if he takes his time compiling something on that scale, it’s difficult for even the most discriminating of critics among us to deny the talent that he’s bringing to the table in this early offering.
“Alaska” is a playful, bittersweet pop song with some strong indie rock sparks, and provided it’s a preview, it will likely be but the first of many hits this artist enjoys.
Troy Johnston