Cullen Omori - Cinnamon

What this video is

Released January 7, 2016, 'Cinnamon' marked Cullen Omori's public emergence as a solo artist following the 2014 dissolution of Chicago indie rock band the Smith Westerns. Omori, who co-founded the Smith Westerns in 2007 and steered them to indie stardom with 'Dye It Blonde' (2011), repositioned himself on Sub Pop Records with a synth-forward dark pop sound drawing on Roxy Music, INXS, Kate Bush, and Hall & Oates.…

Why it matters

A landmark document of mid-2010s post-band indie solo reinvention, 'Cinnamon' exemplifies the synth-pop/dark pop hybrid emerging from Chicago's post-Smith Westerns indie ecosystem. Its Sub Pop release and new wave sonic palette situate it within the label's ongoing tradition of platforming…

The director

Abigail Briley Bean is a music video and visual media director credited with directing the official debut video for Cullen Omori's 'Cinnamon' (2016), released via Sub Pop Records. The video premiered January 7, 2016 on Pitchfork.