The latest video for “How Are My Thoughts Not My Own” from dark pop group Challenger plays out like the travelogue from some cross-country tour. Between slowly changing scenes of various places and landscapes, singer John Ross softly coos above a gently plucked acoustic guitar before the synths and 80’s pop influences which the band so covetously employs make themselves known. You could say that the repeated line “tell me it’s just chemicals” is indicative of something untrue–something that must be covered over by artificial means. But the slowly rising synth thump and emotionally charged vocals make it clear that whatever is being conveyed here is raw and expressly direct, with the duo trying to remove any distractions between the listener and music. But as the song reaches its long-awaited crescendo, the intent of that line about chemicals turns inside out, and it seems as though Ross is simply saying that we are all synapses and chemical responses and that this is how we come to know each other–though these quickly firing physical and mental reactions. Watch the video for “How Are My Thoughts Not My Own” below.
HOW ARE MY THOUGHTS NOT MY OWN VIDEO from Catherine Rehwinkel on Vimeo.
