Big Ups – Fear (Music Video)

by Steven Spoerl

This most recent Tuesday came and went with little fanfare but left a lot of great material in its wake. Among its many unearthed gems included songs from Hit Bargain, The Essex Greene, S.M . Wolf, Lazyeyes, Slow Mass, Blues Lawyer, Frog Eyes, Savage Mansion, GRLwood, American Wrestlers, HOO HAs, Sibille Attar, Anemone, Alex Dingley, Batts, Richard Nuclear, clips from Courtney Marie Andrews, The Sidekicks, Media Jeweler, Cut Worms, Run Logan Run, Deafheaven, The Magic Lantern, and a two-song release from Blue Streak. While all of those, as always, deserve looks and listens the focus is here is solely on the re-emergence of site favorites Big Ups by way of their music video for “Fear”.

Following the scintillating “PPP”, Big Ups have now stoked the excitement for their forthcoming Two Parts Together even further with “Fear”. The song itself is the band at their most aggressively simple, relying on their use of restraint as a means of aggression with characteristically sterling results. Capitalizing on the song’s cumulative effect is the accompanying music video, cut together by drummer Brendan Finn using performance clips from the band culled from various sources and footage that came from the band member’s through several tours [Disclaimer: Heartbreaking Bravery footage of the band performing at Palisades is included in the clip].

As is the case with every Big Ups track, the intensity when the song reaches its apex is blistering and its quieter moments are as arresting as ever, the dichotomy surges breathing some life into the clips as they flicker on the screen. There are times where “Fear” almost feels like a statement about the band’s endurance, versatility, and longevity, yet their own legacy never becomes an overwhelming focal point. Instead, there’s enough freewheeling sensibilities and uncertainty that it subverts the trap of becoming a referendum and simply settles on being a living testament to their present power.

“Fear” is effective, efficient, and more than serves its purpose: anyone that listens or watches the clip has been served noticed that something menacing is lurking just around the corner. All we have to do is wait until May 18.

Watch “Fear” below and pre-order Two Parts Together from Exploding In Sound here.