Jake Hays' solo project, Maudlin Strangers, has humble origins. The music you hear when you play an MS track comes from a quiet corner of California called Agoura Hills, but it's looking more and more like the project is destined for bigger spaces in the very near future. His first track, "Overdose", caught our ear a while back, and right from the get-go, we predicted this guy had what it takes to make it big. Ever since, Jake has released a handful of originals and remixes that have not only confirmed our suspicions, but won over an increasing number of fans desperate for the next single to come out, and building on this buzz is his first-ever music video, which, as far as we're concerned, is one of best we've seen this year. The concept is simple. The camera opens up on an empty warehouse that serves as the backdrop to Jake's singing, but right away, the fit and finish will wow you, and the execution is pretty peerless. This shouldn't come as a surprise, though. The team behind the video has a pretty solid back catalog of previous work, and when Timothy Garrett and Alvaro Navaro lent their talents to the creative direction and videography, you have to assume the final product is going to be top-notch. Wade Effects rounds out the effort with their editing and post-production wizardry, and with all the pieces in place, the final video will have you hooked from start to finish. (mobile users: click here to watch the video http://youtu.be/fJ7sOzDb__c)
Maudlin Strangers