Owen Hamlin returns with his second single/video, “Old Things”. Part of his upcoming debut album, Right as Rain, Owen doesn’t mince words with his straightforward lyrics. “I don’t like new things/ Old things are better/ Time breaks down most things/ Few and far things ever find a way to last.”
That wearing away of fleeting fads and trends to reveal what’s worth keeping—Owen Hamlin builds that concept throughout both his music and video. With growing distortion and filters, the guitars and vocals growl closer to white noise, peaking around 2:13.
But, just like the sands of time buffing out the rough edges, things return to the opening tonality. Even as the music fades, there’s a sense of repetition, like this won’t be erased.
In the video, everything is erased. Owen is seen writing this song, sitting behind a cluttered desk and stuck in a rut. There’s frustrating violence to this stuffiness, further illustrated by a tight, blocky tie. Once he’s free from the confines of office life and its sartorial restrictions, he’s free to explore.
With that kind of freedom, “Old Things” is sure to last.
Watch “Old Things” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
