by mariah estran
Oh, the age of internet dating! The endless scroll of potential prospects. Followed by the anticipation of a connection that ends by being left on ‘read.’
For bedroom-pop artist Derek Simpson, that bittersweet feeling inspired his new single and music video for “Talking To Strangers.” The latest release from his upcoming album, Signs.
Simpson’s groovy nature is, once again, center stage. His knack for simple hypnotizing, loops of shiny guitar chords and provocative beats makes for another addictive tune. Vocals carefully build to Simpson sharing a moment many could find identifiable. He sings, “Evenings on the phone/talking to strangers/keep meeting ghosts.”
While the tracks cadence effortlessly swaggers through the ear. That hollow, cold state conjured after sudden abandonment isn’t disregarded. Simpsons says about the single: “The weirdness of initially judging a person from photographs, the sending of playful messages only to be lost in translation, and the defeat of being left alone by the ‘ghosts’ inform this track’s creeping guitar and nervous lyric, haunting the ear moments after ceasing like a whimper in a dark room.”
Finding inspiration from psychological horror films, Simpson brings those scattered emotions to the screen. Scenes shift from him performing in dimly lit shadows to TV static, and kaleidoscope-like projections. A bedsheet ghost appears on a cellphone, and the anxiety-riddled fear sets in. Yet, in the end, we see him standing shoulder-to-shoulder, dancing with that once dreaded spirit.
You could say, overcoming rejection gets easier when you’ve got good music.