Naima Bock - Kaley

JUL 01 2024 · 12:00

Naima Bock - Kaley (2024) Director: Cassidy Hansen Era: Post-Pandemic Indie Folk Revival (2022–2024) - A period of renewed interest in organic, lush folk-pop arrangements and intimate visual storytelling, marked by artists on independent labels forging deeply personal second records with expanded instrumentation. High curatorial value as a document of the mid-2020s UK independent folk-pop moment, capturing the aesthetic and thematic concerns of a critically acclaimed artist at a pivotal second-album juncture. The confirmed directorial credit of Cassidy Hansen, simultaneously the album's drummer, makes this an unusually rich case study in integrated artistic collaboration. Earned 'Best of Month' recognition from The Quietus and a 4-star MOJO rating for the parent album, cementing its significance within the contemporary canon. Context: Released June 24, 2024 as the lead single and video for Naima Bock's second album Below a Massive Dark Land (Sub Pop / Memorials of Distinction, September 27, 2024). Bock, a London-based, British-Brazilian singer-songwriter and former Goat Girl member, wrote 'Kaley' partly while staying in Tucson, Arizona; the song addresses themes of betrayal and subsequent directionlessness. The video, directed by collaborator Cassidy Hansen (also the album's drummer), depicts Bock playing multiple roles, translating the song's fractured emotional perspective into a theatrical visual form. The Quietus named it 'Best of the Month,' praising its 'romantic, timeless sweep' and saxophone interplay. The album was recorded at The Crypt Studios in north London and produced primarily by Jack Osborne (Bingo Fury) and Joe Jones, with 'Kaley' self-produced by Bock. Director notes: Directed the official video for 'Kaley,' the lead single from Naima Bock's second album Below a Massive Dark Land, released June 24, 2024. Multiple press outlets, including Sub Pop Records, Ghettoblaster Magazine, and KLOF Mag, confirm Hansen as director. Brooklyn Vegan noted that in the video Naima plays multiple roles. The video was released simultaneously with the album announcement and the animated visualizer for 'Further Away' (directed by Gaia Alari). The dual role of Hansen as both a band member on the record and the video's director reflects an unusually integrated artistic collaboration.