Montreal indie-dance/trip-hop trio Men I Trust (vocalist/guitarist Emma Proulx, guitarist Jessy Caron and pianist Dragos Chiriac) have perfected their own approach to the self-directed and self-edited music video. The concept they rely on most often is simple: a young woman takes a stroll (or a scenic bike ride) through the city or woods, lost in contemplation. The lack of an action-driven plot, vibrant lighting, and thoughtful editing works excellently with the trio’s consistent aesthetic of “smooth sounds, calm melodies and simple rhythms that relax”.
In “Show Me How”, the band’s first track of 2018, Emma Proulx wanders pensively through the streets from day to night without any particular destination or agenda. She eventually finds herself amongst the concentrated lights of a casino, and tries her luck at a slot machine at the very end of the video. Meanwhile, her delicate vocals spin a familiar tale of unrequited love with the help of a plush bassline. The twist lies in her calm and unperturbed acceptance of the distance that separates and the asymmetry of it all: ‘I’m turning around I’m having visions of you/ But then I understand/ The friend I’m dreaming of is far away/ And doesn’t feel my love/ But I do... I do.’
Few bands take on the anxieties of young adulthood with as much grace, dreaminess and composure as Men I Trust. If you will be in Austin for this year’s SXSW, do not miss their performances on March 14th and 16th.
