I am not typically one to enjoy music videos that merely show a band performing their work, but “No Death” by Mirel Wagner is something else entirely. Featuring Wagner plucking her guitar, the video is as simple as they come; what sets it apart is the darkness. Barely lit, barely moving, she performs. Her song is stark and personal, sombre and haunting.
You see different angles of Mirel in her dark setting, performing, singing, standing. And you see a little bit of her surroundings, what appears to be a dilapidated cabin.
Born in Ethiopia, Wagner grew up in urban Finland, hence the accent.
Reminiscent of artists like Joanna Newsome, Tiny Vipers, and maybe even a little Ólöf Arnalds, “No Death” is off Mirel Wagner’s new self-titled LP, out in North America March 26 via Friendly Fire Recordings.
Download: “No Death” by Mirel Wagner
[audio:120216-mirel-wagner-no-death.mp3|titles=No Death|artists=Mirel Wagner]
Download: “No Hands” by Mirel Wagner
[audio:120216-mirel-wagner-no-hands.mp3|titles=No Hands|artists=Mirel Wagner]
Mirel Wagner “No Death” from Friendly Fire Recordings on Vimeo.