Single Review: Night Argent’s “Mannequin”
Fresh off their sophomore album The Fear, the Washington alternative pop/rock band Night Argent has released an ethereal new music video for the single “Mannequin,” available for viewing on YouTube here. The band is comprised of four talented musicians: frontman and lead vocalist Chase Manhattan, who also is a skilled guitar player, keyboardist Shane Santanna, who also plays guitar and drums, Evan Taylor on bass, and Zac Burrell on drums.
“Mannequin” takes us through an emotional journey as frontman Chase Manhattan laments the loss of a lover, leaving him a “dead man walking.” Utilizing fog, flames, and eerie lighting, the video evokes feelings of loneliness and regret. Haunting melodies transport you to world of desolation as dancers sway with hypnotic beauty. The lyrics speak of a paralyzing experience, and anyone who has felt the pain of heartbreak can readily identify with Chase as he floats alone in a misty pool. To say that the video gave me chills would be an understatement. Chase had this to say about the single:
“‘Mannequin’ is currently our favorite track on this record. The production, and the big power ballad vibe, feels a little reminiscent of our song ‘Kamikaze’ to us, which was the track off of our debut EP that was our favorite to play live. The initial lyrics and concept for ‘Mannequin’ came to me while showering in the hotel room prior to an all day co-writing session we had in Los Angeles. I just kept thinking about the similarities between someone who feels like they’ve lost everything of importance to them, everything that made them who they are, and a mannequin. When someone or something has taken and left with such a big part of you, you no longer feel like yourself, you feel like an empty shell, whose only purpose left in life is to be a filler for your clothes. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how the idea would play, and I expected it to get shot down when I pitched it to the group, so when they took it and ran with it, helping mold it into what is now the first track off of The Fear, I was stoked.”
The Fear features six new tracks: “Mannequin”, “Dreamcatcher”, “Heartbeat”, title track “The Fear”, “Immortalized”, and “Dream of the Ocean”. You can follow Night Argent on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Instagram, or you can visit their website at www.nightargentofficial.com.