Charly Bliss | photo by Ebru Yildiz | courtesy of the artist
Charly Bliss reenacts the chaos of young love in the bittersweet “Young Enough” video
The music video for Charly Bliss’ “Young Enough” — and the track itself — really encapsulate the whole aura of the album. Most songs on Young Enough involve lead singer, Eva Hendricks, reflecting back upon her misplaced teenage ennui from a more enlightened perspective. Hendricks contemplates everything from the notion of people pleasing “Capacity,” to her experience with sexual assault on “Fighting in the Dark.” “Young Enough” describes Hendricks looking back on her first, very on and off again love. While they were clearly not fit for each other, it was not toxic and hurtful like some of her other relationships. She emphasizes the fact that they were both very much in love, and just “Young Enough” to be making those sorts of mistakes.
The track is set to a video of Hendricks, accompanied by dancers and fellow band members Sam Hendricks, Spencer Fox, and Dan Shure in a field. Everyone is dressed in white, and their movements are flowy. The video is subtly reminiscent of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights,” sans the red dress and Kate Bush of course, with a more modern approach. As the video progresses, it becomes less elegant and more chaotic. Hendricks suddenly is adorned with bright aqua eyeshadow and the latter portion of the video was filmed at dusk, creating a darker ambiance. The unraveling of the “Young Enough” video is likely an homage to the unraveling of the relationship it was based upon.
Throughout the track lead Hendricks’ voice is mildly reminiscent of a post-“Call Me Maybe,” Emotion-era Carly Rae Jepsen. That is not to say Charly Bliss’ sound is not unique, but they fall within a similar underserved vein of pop music. “Young Enough” is a pop song about teenage love, without the vapidity of more mainstream hits. It is a necessary addition to anyone’s pop playlist.
Charly Bliss is scheduled to perform twice in the upcoming months in the Philadelphia area. They will be at Made in America festival on August 31st, and again on November 14th at the Foundry. Details on both shows can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar.