There’s an ecstatic quality about “Riding on the Wind,” the new single and video from Atlanta five-piece Flamingo Shadow, a feeling of emotional uplift that resonates beyond the song’s exuberant indie pop thrust. Written as a pick-me-up for a friend experiencing a difficult break up, the track serves as a kind of rallying cry for shrugging off fear and doubt and living fearlessly in the moment. As themes go, it may be a bit old hat, but the band’s energy is so irrepressible, their hooks so damn anthemic, that you can’t help but to cheer them on.
Shot primarily in Shinjuku, Japan, the karaoke-themed video features vocalist Lady Nice, aka Madeline Adams, dancing and singing through the streets while on her real-life honeymoon with fellow band member Big Man (David Matysiak). Given the location and the circumstances, the clip is visually striking and adventurous, but there’s also a voyeuristic intimacy like stumbling across a stranger’s private stash of home movies. The central message is one of freedom and exploration, of surrendering to time’s ineluctable flow. “Take me to the river, I float like a buoy,” Adams declares towards the song’s stirring conclusion. Sage advice for those who can follow it.
Flamingo Shadow perform tomorrow night, Dec. 12, at the Mammal Gallery alongside Sound of Ceres and OCHI. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10.
More Info
Web: flamingoshadow.com
Bandcamp: flamingoshadow.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @flamingoshadow
Instagram: @flamingoshadow