Ryley Walker - “Sweet Satisfaction” (Official Video)

Ryley Walker makes the kind of music that seems most fitting in a natural landscape, so the fact that his new video for “Sweet Satisfaction” was shot in Death Valley is, well, satisfying. But this video was directed by Bethany Schmitt — aka the Buttress — so get ready for the scenic, barren landscape to dissolve into a maze of slot machines, pills, seductive silhouettes, and the final specter of death himself. I love how the clip mimics the song’s structure, pairing simple acoustic strumming with the natural landscape, and the undercurrent of destroyed fuzz with the shots of a glitzy city’s underbelly. It’s the juxtaposition of both that make the visuals and the song so compelling; not many can combine influences like Nick Drake and finger-bleeding noise guitar with this much success.