The new video from Language Arts is only about the most loveable video you’ll see all year. Kristen Cudmore, the art-pop classical guitarist founder and front-person tells the story of how she met and welcomed her rescue dog, the titular “Sprout”, home.
Romping through the storybook world of director, illustrator, and animator Pierre-Julien Fieux, we’re treated to something a little bit Maurice Sendak, a touch of Pendleton Ward, and a pinch of Hayao Miyazaki. It’s a momentary glimpse at an epic adventure that is simultaneously colorfully quaint and endearing, about the special place of importance held by the furry friends in our lives.
And for good measure, Cudmore isn’t above punching you right in the feels, delivering ugly-cry inducing lines like, “Spend a lifetime caring for you / I have come to take you home / When we go, I’ll be buried beside you / I have come to take you home.”
Judging from the team on Language Arts latest release, Lemon/Lime, that’s no accident. It’s the work of Grammy-winning producer David Bottrill (Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Peter Gabriel) and Juno-winning producer, Joel Stouffer (Dragonette, Lowell, Serena Ryder). We’re being gutted with surgical precision by masters of their craft, utilizing the most sophisticated technology to manipulate our heartstrings while employing a subversive beat. We’ll either come through this stronger or be destroyed by it.
Collectively that team has produced a collection of songs with a particularly unique perspective: a journey through Cudmore’s experiences while healing from a traumatic brain injury.
“It took years, because getting hit by a drunk driver turned my body into a lemon,” says Cudmore, with a nod to the album’s title. “I tried so hard not to let that get me down, so I made the flavor of the music like a fresh splash of lime!”
Cudmore notes how that message takes on a new relevance under the current circumstances of the pandemic. Each of us has experienced a live-changing collapse of our respective worlds and a growing sense of isolation. For those of us fortunate enough, our furry friends continue to fill those worlds, however reduced, with happiness and a seemingly inexhaustible source of stray hairs representing their inescapable companionship.
“During this time, having a dog is so special. Sprout is one that brought a world of love into my life. We celebrate our 10 years together this year and she’s seen me through the highs and lows, as a pet, companion and support,” says Kristen, “So I wrote her a song years ago.”