The beautiful, emotive “Carteret” is exemplary of Waldo Witt’s atmospheric songwriting and stirring vocal presence. Previously impressing with the track “Crystal Ball,” the artist explores a more textured, yearning sound with “Carteret.” Aesthetically, I’m reminded of the deeply immersive sound Prefab Sprout explored on Jordan: The Comeback (1990). Glistening synths push in around 01:12, leading into a deeply effective chorus with an anthemic vocal pull. “Carteret” is excellently produced, dripping with emotions and nostalgia.
Waldo Witt already shows a trend for captivating music videos, evidenced by ’80s cinema ode “Crystal Ball“, and now with the captivating video for “Carteret,” directed by Sefárdico.
The video’s press release goes into detail regarding the video’s themes and depictions:
The director presents a magic realism treatment on the United States – one populated by a desperate and passionate multicultural youth defined by its opposition to the dominant power group, in this case the Kadabros gang. This is a needle-drop into a deep groove: a look at a subculture struggling, and celebrating, and adapting to a hostile society. But a closer look at the cosmetics suggests a division. The different clown face paint worn by the Kadabros and the minority gangs signify the differing ideologies they present to the world. Narratively speaking, the clown face is also a device to lighten up the very stark situation in which we found ourselves as a country – that we are ultimately divided. Our hero is a young woman with a butterfly chest tattoo whose innocent appearance belies her dedication – and her determination to overthrow the current corrupt and obsolete order. Only by symbolically killing the societal ideal we have of those in power we will be able to celebrate underrepresented voices and move forward as a society.
