The dust has hardly settled on their recent video for “Needle” and Joff and the Cults have unleashed yet another visual feast for “Holding Your Hand” – taken from their freshly minted EP, Cobblestone Road.
The roots-inspired garage rockers prove they’re not just back – they’re here to stay – instruments blazing and creativity smoking.
Where “Needle” danced on the edge of reality, “Holding Your Hand” plunges us headfirst into a world of cutout animation that’s equal parts charming and chilling. The video reintroduces us to the band’s signature spectral mascot – a lovelorn ghost that flits through scenes both cosmic and domestic, echoing the haunting nature of the track.
Against backdrops of starry nights and sparse interiors, our ethereal protagonist navigates a landscape that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Joff’s trademark blinking chalk eyes make an appearance, lending an air of omniscient observation to the proceedings.
The cutout animation style lends itself perfectly to the band’s aesthetic, marrying their penchant for the nostalgic with their knack for the uncanny. Each frame is a meticulously crafted diorama, a snapshot of a world where the veil between the living and the dead is tissue-thin.
“Holding Your Hand” walks a tightrope between comfort and unease, much like its spectral star teeters between this world and the next. It’s a visual lullaby that tucks you in with one hand while leaving the closet door slightly ajar with the other.
On this latest offering, Joff and the Cults continue to carve out their niche in the Cape Town music scene, proving that their brand of darkly comforting, roots-tinged rock is here to haunt us in the best possible way.
Eager to experience the band’s ethereal presence in the flesh? Catch Joff and the Cults at District in Cape Town on Thursday, 29 August. They’ll be sharing the stage with Jak Thomas and the Rebellion, and The Cinematic Rejects. The spectral spectacular kicks off at 20:00, and tickets start at R50.
