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If you’ve yet to hear of Joel Compass and you pay attention to the blogosphere, prepare for probable inundation. The British crooner’s got all the makings to be 2013’s hyped indie R&B (or PBR&B or alt soul or whatever the hell it’s going to be called when one blogger makes up a new term that gets picked up by enterprising others). He’s got the emotional falsetto, the sparse, Prince-inflected electronic production, a hot label (Black Butter) behind him, and now a stunning black and white video to accompany lead single “Back to Me.”
In the clip, a robbery perpetrated by a father and his young son goes horribly wrong, leading to the father’s death at gunpoint and eventual rebirth at the hands of a witch doctor. It’s stylized, surreal, and a surprisingly affecting accompaniment to an already aching song.
Check out “Back to Me” below.
