Indie rock veterans Death Cab For Cutie have released a poignant animated video for their newest single, “Underneath the Sycamore,” off their latest release Codes and Keys. Set in Los Angeles in 1977, the two-dimensional video follows private eye Mojowski as he navigates the grim city underworld to find a missing woman.
The song provides a heartbreaking soundtrack for the private eye’s travels from strip clubs to movie theaters, and from the moment Mojowski is handed a photograph of the heroine up until he locates her ready to jump from high atop a building, the video takes viewers on a dizzying journey. The video is the third time Death Cab has worked with Walter Robot artists Bill Barminski and Christopher Louie, the first two being the band’s “Grapevine Fires” video off 2008′s Narrow Stairs and the video for “Meet Me on the Equinox” off The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack.
While a film noir-inspired video might seem an odd choice for this song, there are moments where the lyrics match up beautifully, such as “I cannot be stopped as soon as I start.” As Mojowski searches for the nameless woman, the repetition of “We are the same, we are both safe,” is sadly fitting as well.
Check out the video below and decide how well you think the story matches the song.
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