When I first heard David Tabor’s music last fall, I was struck by his ability to marry kinetic electronica to themes of anxiety and dread. The filmmaker and musician’s latest single follows a similar path, exploring how media shapes our identity as moody synths pulse and drift through a mutating soundscape. Through it all, Tabor’s weary baritone remains the driving constant shifting between rueful resignation and bitter defiance.
Featuring guitar from Trevor Flanders of Twin Criminal and drums from Jordan Hughes, “I’m Starting to Look Like Him” further outlines what listeners can expect from Tabor’s upcoming debut, Karaoke Night. The 13-song collection, out July 10, will maintain a conceptual backdrop with each song told through the lens of a lone singer on stage. As Tabor explains, “The singer leads the audience through a loose narrative that chronicles a series of nights strung together by ruminating thoughts of mental illness, heartbreak, lost identity, and the 2016-2020 political season.”
As male models and advertisement tropes parade across the screen, the video seeks to show the effect media and marketing have on our psyche—how they can dictate our desires and fashion our patterns of behavior. That’s a lot of subconscious pressure for the average person to overcome, let alone for those who struggle with their mental health. “I’m on the brink,” Tabor bemoans near the song’s conclusion, and while that realization can serve as a springboard to recovery, it’s also an admittance that a snap could be imminent. It’s a precipice we all must face at some point; hopefully, we can muster the strength to keep our feet on the ledge.
Watch/listen above.
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Web: davidatabor.com
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