Single/Video Review: Reckoning

Reckoning is a new single and video release from Samuel Gaskin that follows in the wake of his stage production by the same name.

New Zealand born and now based in Melbourne, Gaskin intertwines his own roots and the roots of his current placing in this video, with a cast of 20 First Nations Aboriginal and Maori performers. While the costuming and lighting are beautiful, I didn’t find the video to be hugely inspiring. It is a well shot performance of some impressive choreography but not something I would leave the tab open for if I was listening to the song on YouTube. However, it’s possible that the video would hold a deeper meaning had I seen the stage production.

The song itself begins quite epic-ly – it is strong and attention commanding from the beginning, even the title suggests this with its capitalisation. Bold drum strokes fall into a pop-py, upbeat tempo with the entry of the vocals.

The song builds to a chorus that is sombre and humble. The backing vocals at this point seem very powerful, I’d like to see that coming through a little bit more, as I feel it might emphasise the tangent of originality that the song seems to be pushing at.

I think that at its core Reckoning is a polished pop song that is definitely going to be stuck in my head for a while. The contemporary pop core is interwoven with elements of tradition. I really love hearing multiple languages in a song, especially one that will get radio play, as I’m sure this one will.