By Charlie Maybee
Kev Kelly has returned with a new music video for “Faster,” which sees the New Jersey born / Nashville-based commercial musician take a criminal turn to robbery. But there’s a natural (possibly romantic) comradery between him and his partner in crime; an unnamed woman who has a proclivity for hard drinking straight out of the bottle as they find themselves on the run.
The returning lyrical motif is variations on the command “drive faster,” as we see shots of our dynamic duo driving through desert scenery (presumably away from law enforcement). “They won’t find us where we’re running,” Kelly sings as they flee into the night. This turns out to be a short-lived fantasy as lyrical references to being captured by the cops take over the bridge of the song. We don’t get to see any footage of this encounter, but It is punctuated by the repeating lyrics “shut your mouth.”
For a song and music video that has strong romantic and encouraging vibes, the lyrical content stands in stark opposition. There is a fleeting moment where the lyrics shift to “You’re bleeding out / Oh, haven’t you heard / Bleeding out / Bleeding out/ Bleeding out”; a bleak shift in dynamic that is not referenced in the video, so perhaps we are not watching the events unfold in real time, but rather watching a fantasized version of the events where the positive memories of companionship and thrill-seeking take centerstage.
“Faster” is available on major streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and YouTube. The accompanying music video is also available on YouTube. Follow our Alchemical Weekly YouTube Playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
After AFI DOCS’s departure, the capital city once again has a documentary festival.
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
