Wow. That’s all we can say about Odesza’s music video for “It’s Only.” At nearly five minutes long, the cinematic adventure takes us on a trek through recorded history, exploring humanity’s influence. From the harnessing of fire, to modern revolution, this visual feast is a marvelous depiction of what lurks beneath all those years.
While it’s not all smiles and sunshine, emotions can’t help but stir at the collection of scenes. Death is afoot, strife is ever present; the struggle to survive and thrive threads each clip together as one. Conquistadors discover new worlds, the industrial age grips evolution, world war breaks out, space shuttles pioneer a new frontier… But within every clip is an air of beauty, of both the highs and lows we’ve endured as a species. Ditching the color places this expanse of eras on the same plane, a brilliant stylistic maneuver to embolden the common themes found in each. Set against Odesza’s stellar production, with Zyra’s emotive vocals and a rewound melody, the result is stunning to say the least. Here’s what director Dan Brown has to say about the piece:
“‘It’s Only’ speaks to something elemental, fire, water, love, but from a viewpoint that seems removed. Things happen, good or bad. So it goes. This inspired a story about mankind, all of mankind, from the stone age through our bloody past and into the present using that same lens.”
