Rachael Yamagata Debuts the MV for “Starlight”

Rachael Yamagata has just debuted the MV on MTV Hive for her single “Starlight” off her upcoming Chesapeake, her first LP in 3 years. The video takes a decidedly lo-fi approach, full of stylized visuals and abstract footage… a somewhat welcome deviation from the overly glossy, super crisp HD video productions that have become the norm. I’m really like both the songs and visuals for this one. Looking forward to the complete album!

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More information after the break!

The song: The lead single from Chesapeake, Rachael Yamagata’s first album since 2008’s Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Hearts, “Starlight” cements her transformation from a hushed folky to a full-on rocker in the mold of PJ Harvey. That comparison is going to get tossed around a lot, with Yamagata playing up her whiskey-scratched voice over a driving bassline and moody keyboards.

The video: Using a lo-fi, Super-8 aesthetic to great effect, “Starlight” intercuts home video footage of weddings and circus performers and skydivers with images of Yamagata, run through a battered film-reel effect, crooning into the camera in front of a brightly-colored carousel. There’s a young man of her fancy in the picture as well and if the goal was to compliment “Starlight”’s moody tone with a clown-at-the-state-fair aesthetic, they pull it off like gangbusters. The whole thing implies that love is a game for Yamagata, and like most carnival attractions, this game’s fixed.

The director: “Starlight” was directed by Laura Crosta, a veteran of the Microsoft “Really?” campaign, who gets to show off her artier side here. She’s got an impressive portfolio of music-oriented still shots, as well, but it looks like “Starlight” is among her first forays into music video.

“Starlight” doesn’t go for a straight narrative video, which suits the song’s scattered, more frantic mood. All of the intercut footage — and there’s a lot of it, mostly old timey shots of crowds and vintage, circus-themed imagery that complements the scenes of Yamagata at the carnival. Most of those intercut shots are pretty neat, too, with tigers crawling out of cages, fire-breathers and classic airplanes taking off and landing. It doesn’t quite tell a story, but it doesn’t really need to – when it comes to setting a mood that matches “Starlight,” the video does a hell of a job.