Recorded live in East Atlanta’s Brownwood Park, Sara Rachele’s new video, “When the Fire Goes Out Tonight,” accentuates much of what we’ve grown to know and love about the songwriter. The song is an intimate, semi-confessional oeuvre on broken love and forgiveness that succeeds on the strength of its stark simplicity and Rachele’s lyrical honesty: “Ooh honey, when the fire goes out tonight / I’ll tell you that I will never lie / Believe me, you have my heart in mind / At least when the fire goes out tonight.” Her vocals, always alluring and generously coated in rustic Southern charm, here sound more subdued that normal, drifting between a wintery mix of sadness and romantic yearning while she effortlessly fingerpicks the song’s forlorn melody on her acoustic.
Directed by Brent Lambert-Zaffino, the accompanying video wisely maintains the song’s unadorned simplicity, allowing Rachele’s expressive hooks to lead and guide the action. It’s certainly warmer and more lighthearted — much of the footage features Rachele smiling or laughing — although the video’s black and white palette helps mute some of the cheer. It’s a fairly straightforward production that manages to feel poetic and ethereal, offering a sense of comfort and stability that somehow accents rather than negates her wistful musings. WATCH HERE…
