Rad Horror’s “Everybody But Myself” Single/Video

I nearly OD’d in your bathroom / I thought you were my best friend / You were drunk and passed out in the bedroom / I felt like this was the end” a fragile lead vocal proclaims from beneath a thin layer of instrumental melodicism in Rad Horror’s “Everybody But Myself.” In this track and the music video made in support of its release this fall, Rad Horror aren’t using lyrical content as the exclusive means of expressing some really deep emotion, but for all intents and purposes, it’s the driving force behind the song’s most profound moments.

Visually speaking, the music video for “Everybody But Myself” is a simple but stimulating document, and I don’t think it needed to go beyond the cut and dry premise it presents us with to leave a dreamlike impression on any who watch it. There’s a great deal of surrealism sewn into the fabric of this track’s primary melody, and to some extent, it was really important to see this element expanded upon in the imagery comprising the video. As a result, this release feels more full-bodied and robust, which aren’t exactly comments I could make about most of the minimalistic pop being recorded and released in the underground this fall.

When the strings have their time in the spotlight, they add an edginess to the big picture in this single that I wouldn’t want to change for anything in the world. There hasn’t been as much guitar-focused material making it out of the shadows and onto the charts in the last few years, and while “Everybody But Myself” isn’t a return to classic rock aesthetics, it’s definitely a lot more spread out in terms of its instrumental priorities. The strings have an important part here, and it relates as much to the definition of the narrative as any singular verse does.

The chemistry between the players in Rad Horror is really something, and in “Everybody But Myself,” I think it’s more obvious than it ever has been before just how natural their ability to make music together really is. They’re never sparring for our attention and it doesn’t ever feel as though there’s one element in the mix leading us to the climax more than another is – it’s a sonic equilibrium whether it has to be or not. Some might refer to their technique as a bit overly streamlined, but to a critic like myself, it hits the spot.

If this is par for the course Rad Horror plan to be playing as a band in their career together, I would anticipate “Everybody But Myself” likely being a critical turning point in this group’s ascent into the big leagues. There are no easy ways to beat the Los Angeles music scene – you have to adapt and embrace the culture of its traditions and the abrasiveness of its most experimental players, otherwise, you’re dead in the water by the time some band from Denver steps off the plane. These guys seem prepared to run the long mile, and I’m eager to hear where their sound takes them next.

Samuel Pratt