Review by Hoverbee
The video for “Ballad of an Onion Sprout,” the first single off the album With Us by the Oceanside, California-based band The Burning of Rome, begins with a psychedelic trip through a 50′s era comic book outer space with an astronaut arriving on the moon in a jar of Vegemite. The spaceman then floats to a large jar of Marmite all the while lyrics marquee from a vintage dinosaur’s mouth, fly at you and hop across the screen. The video then completely changes direction blending awesome live shots of the band during shows with press shots and eventually ends with individual portraits of each band member. The sudden about-face of the video fits perfectly with the eclectic nature of the song and the band. They previously released a different video for this song and I find it pales in comparison. This video better embodies the spirit of the band and with the addition of the lyrics, the full lyrical genius of the song can be recognized. The Burning of Rome manages to incorporate many different genres of music into one song. I have to say I love this track, but must admit the hook kind of reminds me of the hook from the song “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears. I must also say that this queer fact does not ruin the song for me in the least. It’s not an awful imitation, exact replica or a rip-off, but a glorious reworking of an awesome chord progression and it’s not the only thing that makes the song great (striking use of bells, well put lyrics, fantastic harmonizing and vocals.) Check out more of The Burning of Rome at http://theburningofrome.com/!
