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When it comes to music and “bonus material,” the fare doesn’t often live up to the promise. This is especially true for a lot of behind-the-recording-process footage—often, it just amounts to video of the producer issuing commands through a window, and the artists feeling their way through a new song.
But “Valentine” takes a slightly different tack. Billed as a short film (though we feel it’s more like a director’s cut music video), the 14-minute video takes us into Haim’s recording process as they worked on their latest LP, Something to Tell You. What makes “Valentine” a little more special is that the sisters Haim take a more integrated and personal approach to recording. They’re not isolated in booths, and nary a producer is to be seen. Rather, the band plays as they perform—as a group in an open floor space. The video ends with the sisters in a drum circle—a ritual they’ve incorporated into their live gigs, according to Rolling Stone.
Directed by noted Valley guy Paul Thomas Anderson, the video first premiered in July in L.A. and New York City theaters. Anderson’s touch here is fairly subtle. The most defining mark that you can attribute to him is the color palette—a blush of warm blue that's contrasted with black and flashes of bright lights. It’s perhaps a little reminiscent of Anderson’s Punch Drunk Love and its blend of bluish hues—this would complete a Valley trifecta, as the band, Anderson, and the movie all have ties to the area. The band touched on some of this in a recent tweet:
some words on valentine in case u missed it 🌹 pic.twitter.com/PkazQb4bdr
— HAIM (@HAIMtheband) September 25, 2017
The film was recorded at the Valentine Recording Studios in L.A. (hence the title), and mostly plays like an intimate concert. Highlights include some slick drumming by Danielle starting at the 8:50 mark, and a death stare issued by Este at 11:00. There’s also the fierce drum circle at the end, of course. The featured songs include "Right Now," "Something to Tell You" and "Nothing's Wrong”.
