The absolutely beautiful mini-film shot for Tim Baker's equally stunning "The Eighteenth Hole"

AP Track Review

The absolutely beautiful mini-film shot for Tim Baker's equally stunning The Eighteenth Hole fits the somber orchestral folk song like an old worn glove. As directed by Adrian Vieni and Amos Le Blanc and shot in Baler's native Newfoundland, it is an exercise in nuanced film making utilizing moments of people's lives in an intimate and tactile way. Whether using light, focal depths, slow motion and long close ups, you get a sense of nostalgia and fond life changing remembrances. The color palette is rich and you can sense, feel and smell those textures within each shot. Interestingly, the piece is shot in a seemingly Academy aperture (1.37:1) and the box like frame (like that of 35 mm film) adds to the sense of nostalgia and, even though it is not shot in a Polaroid-esque way, I thought of the times I have rifled through old Polaroids in old shoe boxes tucked away like secret memories. 

As folk singer songwriter, Baker possesses a cinematic tension here and it is no wonder that his song gave birth to these images. His voice and sense of melody moves beyond conventional folk, within his aesthetic there is the broad sweeping sense of older Americana musical theater too blended in such a special way. It is such a rich and timeless piece of music that will, undoubtedly, inspire other artists and I imagine grace a full film some time in the future. 

As Baker offers, the mini film (it feels wrong to call this a mere music video) was created independently without his input which is new for him:

"It was the first video I’ve ever been a part of where I was almost completely hands off with the production. My manager Jase reached out to Amos, who we’ve been a fan of for quite some time and shared a series of scenes that I’d dreamt up. It was decided that he would fly to Newfoundland with his producer, cinematographer and crew and use pretty much the entire budget just slowly shooting as many beautiful, sad, interesting scenes as they could in a week. I never saw anything until the first assembly about a month later. I love it so much. It’s very fitting but open, nostalgic but new and I hope you like it."

Yes we like it. We love it so much.

-
Robb Donker



THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

Tim Baker had a big 2019, releasing his debut solo album, Forever Overheard, in spring on Arts & Crafts, heading out on multiple tours across North America. Today he celebrates it all with a stunning video for “The Eighteen Hole”, shot in Baker’s native Newfoundland, directed by Adrian Vieni and Amos Le Blanc. The video outlines the fractures that can happen in relationships, with Vieni describing the ethos as, “an intimate study of human emotion and connection. It acts as a time capsule, capturing the profound impact others have on us throughout our lives, and the shared experiences that connect us. With each moment, we’re reminded of the choices we’ve made, the trajectory we’ve taken, and people we’ve met that have shaped us into who we are today.”

Discussing, Tim stated, "It was the first video I’ve ever been a part of where I was almost completely hands off with the production. My manager Jase reached out to Amos, who we’ve been a fan of for quite some time and shared a series of scenes that I’d dreamt up. It was decided that he would fly to Newfoundland with his producer, cinematographer and crew and use pretty much the entire budget just slowly shooting as many beautiful, sad, interesting scenes as they could in a week. I never saw anything until the first assembly about a month later. I love it so much. It’s very fitting but open, nostalgic but new and I hope you like it."

Tim released The Eighteenth Hole Variations EP on October 18, which featured a gorgeous vocal trio reconfiguration of the album track, as well as the song performed as solo piano.

Forever Overhead just claimed the 'Top 10 Folk Album of 2019' via Exclaim who noted, "The record draws deep from the past with both exaltations and mournful reveries...'All Hands' bows gratefully to the past while 'The Eighteenth Hole' lingers on 'what-ifs'...Forever Overhead is a resounding act of preservation in an age of unprecedented destruction." And CBC Music has also lofted the album on to its Year End round up noting, "it's these hushed, vulnerable moments that highlight Baker’s songwriting mastery best.”