Juxtaposing elements of period drama and quad-bike adventures, Oliv’s Too Much Love For You video is an eccentric, synth-pop fantasy.
Opening to a shot of the protagonist plaintively staring out to sea, surveying a feast fouled by flies, accompanied by the pounding of an 808: it could be a deleted scene from Marie Antoinette. Instead, it’s the beginning of Too Much Love For You, the intoxicating new video from New Zealand artist, Oliv.
In keeping with the song’s narrative of heartbreak, what unfolds are images of decadence and destruction, a shedding of skin, and the triumphant embrace of a new destiny.
To add further to the sense of visual disorientation (synths from the ’80s, the wardrobe from a century or more before that), Oliv jumps on a quad-bike. Burning off steam and bridges to the past, this slo-mo journey is pure release.
Under the previous guise of NÏKA, Oliv enjoyed collaborations with Flight Facilities and a growing notoriety for her house-heavy, uptempo tracks. In Too Much Love For You a more contemplative, synth-pop atmosphere is explored.
Her multifaceted vocal character and melodic strength are the focal points of this production. There’s ample space to take in the story and reflect on each devastating line while luxuriating in thick synth pads, gentle acoustic guitar strums, and monolithic bass lines.
Too Much Love For You is a gauzy fantasy that revels in the bittersweet sensations of heartbreak and nostalgia. It’ll live on in your mind well after you hit stop.
