Pop masterminds Chvrches have released a teenage gothic anthem of a music video for "Empty Threat" from the band's 2015 album, Every Open Eye.
This is the latest music video from the band following the August release of "Leave A Trace," the lead single from their recent album, which enjoyed a debut spot at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
For "Empty Threat," a group of teenage Goths goes on a trip to the local water park, drinking and smoking along the way, for what looks like an eternally fun afternoon. It's like the Breakfast Club if the whole movie focused on Allison Reynolds, the dark, mysterious character played by Ally Sheedy, and not just because the characters share visual similarities but also because under it all, the music video is about finding acceptance in a group of people who care about you, which is a rare thing these kids seem to have found.
Chvrches' '80s pop musical style fits the video very well with bright, shinny synths grating against the angst of these youths.
A particularly salient moment comes at the peak of the music video. As Lauren Mayberry sings the song's repeating bridge, "Maybe the water's high, but I can see the difference, maybe the water's high, but I know that this is different," her look-alike character falls beneath the water only to emerge with a smile on her face, pretty much summing up the whole premise of the song.
Watch the music video below.
Mayberry has been vocal in the press about feminist issues since the band gained notoriety from the critical and popular success of Bones of What You Believe, but she's giving those issues an extra push lately with a penned letter to Lena Dunham's Lenny Letters. This music video is somewhat an extension of those efforts to shine light on the issues of sexual and mental abuse and how young people can confide in friends.
