Noah Parker is releasing a new music video today, called “Tomorrow’s Too Late.” And it’s ooh la la! Huff Post has it first, right here, right now!
The music for “Tomorrow’s Too Late” was produced by Emile Ghantous and Keith Hetrick, while the video was written and directed by Noah Parker, demonstrating that Parker’s creative talents span the spectrum. Parker says the video is the result of “Trial and error to some extent. I wanted to have a video that showcased the beginning, middle and end of a relationship.” Currently, Parker is in L.A., where he is putting the finishing touches on his debut EP, slated to drop in August.
Stylistically, Parker is best described as contemporary pop, meaning music that appeals to mainstream or general audiences instead of a specific group. Most pop music focuses on simple attractive melodies and memorable hooks, utilizing the verse/chorus song structure, where the chorus differs from the verse rhythmically and melodically. Pop beats are simple, as are the lyrics, which more often than not are about love and relationships. On the surface, it sounds formulaic and easy, like plugging the right pieces into the right places. But it’s not. In fact, it’s extremely difficult because the tighter the discipline of an art form, the more subjective the criteria of taste. In other words, writing a hit pop song is hecka-hard because very few people have the talent do so.
Noah Parker is one of the few who do.
“Tomorrow’s Too Late” begins with an acoustic guitar and a steady groove. When Parker’s voice enters, the song takes off. Parker’s voice transforms the music, taking it from mere guitar chords and a beat to a delightful song that exudes the nostalgia and melancholy associated with an old flame. The melody emanates tight, subdued buoyancy that’s infectious and gets your toe to tapping. Instrumental harmonics provide the melody with depth and a tantalizing wisp of recollection that never goes too far and becomes overcompensation. When the chorus kicks in, the music and Parker’s vocals soar with longing and desire for what once was, and he wishes could be once agan. I love the ending of the tune, with its light, rapid guitar licks that elongate the yearning effect of the song.
Lyrically, the song is not only effective on an emotional level, but overwhelmingly contagious. “Realize that nothing’s changing / Two feelings never aging / Same smile that keeps on taking me back to yesterday / It just keeps on elevating / Who knows what we’re creating / Even though we never really made it.” And who can resist singing along with “All I want is you tonight / Tomorrow’s too late / Can’t keep waiting.”
The video provides an elusive visual familiarity. It opens with Parker strumming his guitar in front of a wall, upon which slides of a beautiful young woman flit slowly by. Then it cuts to Parker and the young woman seated at opposite ends of a bedroom, signifying the emotional distance between them. As the video progresses it segues between Parker and the slide show and his memories of the couple together: walking on the beach and watching the sunset. Yet many of the depictions are empty, or of the couple separated by vast chasms of water or dry sand, showing just how complicated human relationships can be.
The video evokes an emotional commitment in viewers, as they indulge themselves in speculations of what might have been, along with remotely conceivable explanations, all of which seem unlikely. Still, they can’t rid themselves of the potent, heady aura of faded love.
“Tomorrow’s Too Late” is destined to be a hit. It has appealing lyrics, a melody that sticks in your head and Noah Parker’s fantastic voice. Noah Parker has it going on! “Tomorrow’s Too Late” is already on my personal playlist. And I can’t wait for the EP to drop.