– Fenton Wright, Web Services Coordinator
“Black Dog Rabbit Hole” by Devon Gilfillian is one of those songs that feels almost like it has been around forever. The sound is so similar to classic rock songs that we love, but he still has managed to add his own modern twist on that sound along with his lyrics that capture the internal battles that we go through every day.
Black Dog Waiting
The lyrics of this song, for me, is where it truly comes alive. Gilfillian through “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” takes us into his mind as he dives deeper and deeper into a depression that to him in the moment feels unescapable. In the chorus, Gilfillian sings, “Cause baby, it feels so good/ Baby, it feels so good.” It sounds like he is desperately trying to fight against his urges and his instinct that is leading down this dark path, but in the end he can’t.
There is also the beautiful metaphor of the black dog and the rabbit hole. The black dog represents the depression that seems to follow Gilfillian around, and the rabbit hole is how lost he can get in his depression. He repeats throughout the song that he does not want to give in, but he knows that he will. It’s this vicious cycle that he knows is wrong, but there is nothing that he can do about it.
Falling Deeper
Another part of the song that I love has to be the music video. The music video is one of the best representations of the art that I have ever seen in my entire life. To start, the coloring of the music video gives it this brutal edge that makes you focus on Gilfillian and Gilfillian only.
My favorite part of the video has to be the way that it increasingly distorts throughout. First it is losing the color and then the shutter speed of the video causes it to have more of a motion blur and distorts the artists.
Raw Sound
One of the best parts of the song has to be how raw the music itself sounds. It relies on a high energy feel to the song, but at the same time it is grounded in classic rock music. This song is one of the best songs that I’ve heard this year.
What’s Next?
There is such a large amount of Devon Gilfillian to listen to! Be sure to check out more if you liked “Black Dog Rabbit Hole.”
