Synopsis
A vivid stream of hand-drawn and cutout-style animation unfolds against a black background. Birds take flight, horses appear, rain falls, and surreal figures and symbols drift across the screen in time with the song's buoyant orchestral pop. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the video builds a dreamlike visual world from recurring images of movement, nature, transformation, and ascent. Its playful, deliberately strange imagery turns "The Falcons" into a short animated fantasia that mirrors the song's hopeful emotional lift.
Factoids & Trivia
- "The Falcons" was released as a video on November 4, 2011, during the promotional campaign for Patrick Wolf's fifth studio album, "Lupercalia."
- The video was commissioned by Patrick Wolf and appeared on his official YouTube channel.
- The song is the eleventh and final track on "Lupercalia," running for approximately three minutes and 35 seconds.
- Unlike several other tracks from the album, "The Falcons" did not receive a conventional physical single release. The video functioned primarily as a visual accompaniment and promotional piece.
- The animation uses a deliberately lo-fi, collage-like aesthetic, with colorful figures and objects sharply isolated against black. Reviews at the time specifically noted images including a flying dove, horses, falling rain, and a representation of God.
- The song's lyrics move through images of a foundry, rusting machinery, wind turbines, and crossing a border before returning to the repeated idea of looking up. The video's emphasis on flight and upward movement reflects that central lyrical motif.