Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and feast your eyes on the main attraction of the day. I’ve got an exclusive premiere that’ll have you bobbing your head like a carnival clown on a spring. Juliet Lloyd is about to release her final single from her upcoming album, “Carnival,” and you’re about to get a front-row seat to the action.
Now, I know you’re all eager to get your hands on this album, and who can blame you? With a release date of October 25th, 2024, and with this video, it’s the perfect soundtrack to your Halloween festivities. I’m here to give you a sneak peek at what’s in store with the premiere of “Call Your Wife.” So step on in to this funhouse of unexpected twists and turns. ‘Call Your Wife’ is a wild ride of changeups that will keep you guessing.
And also behold this magical caravan of elixirs. Juliet Lloyd’s new album, ‘Carnival,’ is the cure for your emotional wounds. Pre-order now and embark on a journey of healing and happiness at the following link.
And talk about a comeback. Juliet Lloyd’s “Carnival” also happens to be her first full-length release since her sophomore album in 2007. During this time, Lloyd has undoubtedly accumulated a wealth of life experiences to draw from in her songwriting. The upcoming album, produced by Todd Wright, is likely to reflect the challenges and moments she’s encountered over these years. “Call Your Wife,” was co-written by Wright.
About the track, she comments:
Todd Wright (who also produced) and I co-wrote this song together, and it’s the last song we finished for the album. Because we were still working on finishing the album while I started releasing singles earlier this spring, ‘Call Your Wife’ is a nearly real-time reaction to the first single I released from the album, ‘Pretty,’ which dealt with a relationship I had many years ago that I’ve tried not to think about in the years since. Shortly after I released that song, I got a text message in the middle of the night from a number I didn’t recognize. The sender apparently didn’t think I was being ‘fair’ to the guy in my song.
All those feelings from 20+ years ago of being gaslit came flooding back, and this song is my answer. It’s pointed, and a little unhinged. I worked with MindInMotion, a Baltimore-based film production team, again for the video. We had previously worked together on another haunted vibe for my ‘Ghost Light’ video.
For this one, we wanted to lean into the eerie, broken down carnival-esque vibe of the track, and shot the video mostly at the abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia, at night, after dark, in one of the ‘most haunted places in America’ according to lore. It’s maybe my way of finally bidding farewell to ghosts of relationships past.
“Call Your Wife” is the kind of track that does not want to be boxed in, morphing and shifting in ways that catch you off guard. Lloyd and Wright have crafted a piece that challenges preconceptions at every turn in this creepy fun house. The song kicks off with unsettling calliope tones in the lower registers, planting seeds of unease from the start. It’s as if the song’s twisted heart began to beat, like a haunting lullaby of discordant notes tuned to the depths of despair. This eerie foundation sets the stage for Lloyd’s vocal performance, which is incredible.
Lloyd’s approach to the lyrics stands out. Her voice, a fragile flower amidst the wreckage, blooms with a nonchalant grace. This contrast between her delivery and the foreboding backdrop adds so much to the song’s story, encouraging a closer look at the words’ meaning.
As the song unfolds further, it continues to change up. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on where it’s headed, it takes another turn. This moment is incredibly amplified during the chorus when the arrangement swells, introducing warm tones from the banjo that momentarily sound like a cheerful folk tune. Yet just as quickly, the melody shifts back into that haunting calliope sound.
As the song progresses, the carnival’s facade shatters, revealing its true nature, a tempest of rock and roll fury. The second chorus explodes into a cacophony of power, where Juliet’s voice, once serene, now screams with an intensity that mirrors the song’s descent into madness. Her delivery transforms, reflecting the emotions that churn beneath the grounds, and we find ourselves spinning in a dizzying circle, caught in a twisted carousel of feelings where joy and pain intertwine.
The song’s structure cleverly plays with the duality of light and dark, serene and chaotic. It takes us through a funhouse mirror of love, where nothing is quite as it seems, and each moment brings a surprise.
The video transports us to an eerily awesome location – the abandoned amusement park at Lake Shawnee in Mercer County, nestled in the southern tip of West Virginia. This choice of setting proves to be a stroke of genius, perfectly complementing the song’s themes. Ghost of the past you just can’t seem to shake.
The team at Mind in Motion, helmed by director Joshua Land and Victor Fink, have crafted a visual masterpiece here. Their attention to detail and creative vision shine through in every frame. And the editing is amazing as well with some very great transitions. As the video opens, a flashlight pierced the darkness, revealing a haunting tableau of abandoned swings, their rusted metal limbs adorned with forgotten trinkets.
This is kind of like a silent showcase of the park’s once-vibrant life. This striking image sets everything up nicely, mirroring the song’s examination of love’s darker side. One of the most breathtaking shots features Juliet in a field, with the moon looming large in the background. The moon here is like a spectral sentinel, as it casts its ethereal glow upon Juliet. Her silhouette bathed in the haunting hues of violet, it’s almost like a surreal dance with the shadows. This otherworldly scene adds to the video’s unnerving atmosphere, perfectly aligning with mood.
The team’s use of color is very noteworthy. The deep crimson hues, like bloodstains on the park’s history, contrasted starkly with the lighter tones of the daytime scenes, creating a jarring contrast. This visual technique mirrors the song’s own duality, shifting between its darker themes and more upbeat moments.
Scenes of overgrown vegetation in the daylight shots provide a very cool counterpoint to the night scenes. These glimpses of nature reclaiming the abandoned park add layers of meaning to the video, maybe symbolizing how life goes on even in the aftermath of emotional turmoil. In the context of the song, this haunting backdrop takes on added significance. The abandoned park becomes a metaphor for lost dreams and broken promises, its decaying structures make you feel the song’s themes of betrayal and confrontation.
