Spoon - ＂Written in Reverse＂

What this video is

Released in January 2010 as the lead single from Spoon's self-produced seventh album Transference (Matador Records), 'Written in Reverse' arrived during a moment of heightened critical interest in indie rock austerity. Spoon self-produced the album, and the video's stripped-down black-and-white performance aesthetic directly mirrors that production philosophy. The choice of Danny Clinch — whose career is rooted in…

Why it matters

Emblematic of 2010-era American indie rock's rejection of high-concept video production. The rapid editing pace (177 cuts, 1.73s avg shot) and full desaturation create a kinetic but austere document that prioritizes the band's musical performance over visual spectacle — a defining posture of the…

The director

Danny Clinch (born 1964, Toms River, NJ) is an American photographer and film director. He trained at the New England School of Photography and began his career as an assistant to Annie Leibovitz. He founded Three on the Tree Productions in 2003 and has…