Chromatics' much-anticipated fifth album Dear Tommyis still nowhere in sight, but the electropunk-Italo disco quartet have recently released a music video for “I Can Never Be Myself When You're Around”, a track from their 2015 EP . Like the recently released title track for Dear Tommy, the track seems to amount to a dreamy, light headed acceptance of seemingly inevitable romantic malaise.
The stylish black-and-white video (which makes heavy use of split screens) foregrounds most of the sonic elements of the track: Ruth Radelet's understatedly plaintive vocals, Johnny Jewel subtle synth lines, Adam Miller's precise guitar strings and Nat Walker's thumping kick drums (Italians Do It Better labelmate Megan Louise's breathy backing vocals are not granted a visual nod, however). The product is a shimmering atmosphere of stripped-down interpersonal melodrama, delivered with economical and evocative lyricism:
'BabyI'm not the same meI can never be myselfWhen you're around
BabyIt's not a new thingAll the dreams we hadWere more than what we found'
Lyrics: Genius
