Synopsis

Painted Palms' "Forever" places Christopher Prudhomme in a strange, dreamlike landscape where stark studio imagery gives way to pastoral, psychedelic tableaux. He plunges his arms into black paint, flings it across his body and surroundings, and appears alongside a deer skull with antlers. Tron-like digital effects, shifting light and surreal compositions turn the performance into a hypnotic vision. The imagery mirrors the song's themes of isolation, disorientation and losing one's sense of self while time seems to stretch indefinitely.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video premiered through Stereogum on January 21, 2014, shortly after the album *Forever* was released by Polyvinyl Records on January 14.

• The clip was made for the album's title track, whose chorus and lyrics Christopher Prudhomme said arrived together in a spontaneous studio session. The band kept the original idea largely unchanged.

• Painted Palms originally considered calling the album *Soft Hammer*, after another song on the record, before choosing *Forever* instead.

• The visual production used a deliberately tactile setup. The credited crew included director of photography Larkin Donley, production designer Govind Rae, co-producer Annelise Hewitt, gaffer John Tanzer and makeup artist Kira Schmaljohn.

• Reese Donohue described the video shoot as a collaboration involving people associated with Adult Swim's *Hot Package* and Tim and Eric's *Absolutely* production company.

• Contemporary coverage highlighted the video's movement between starkness and pastoral psychedelia, a visual contrast that complements the song's blend of electronic production and Beatles-influenced pop songwriting.