It’s Valentine’s Day and if your secret admirer remained in the shadows this year, don’t despair, because Cuco is here to fill the void that discount seasonal chocolate cannot. Armed with trippy riffs and dreamy hooks, the lo-fi loverboy of our generation just dropped his first music video in support of latest single “Sunnyside.” The Ambar Navarro-directed clip takes its color palette from a melting box of candy hearts, bouncing between shots in crisp HD and what can best be described as warped VHS quality, enhancing the song’s enveloping psychedelic energy.
“Sunnyside” is peppered with shots of Cuco and his crew of brown boys playing their instruments, riding skateboards around an empty lot, and experimenting with green-screen magic, making for a delightful mix of stoner hijinks and genuine fun. The video could also easily double as a commercial for Cuco’s recently launched Fantasy’s Easy Living clothing line, as it features the Hawthorne native and his band fully decked in branded apparel. Close-ups of Cuco as he sheepishly sings into the camera in front of a banner emblazoned with his name and cartoon hearts round out the video’s laid-back sweetheart motif.
Towards the end of “Sunnyside.” we are treated to a montage of Cuco and co. posing amidst various pastel-colored smoke bombs. As the scene unfolds, an ethereal new song begins to play, showcasing a startling embrace of late-Beatles harmonies and production. “I’ll be there to say the word,” sings Cuco in his best John Lennon affect, before sleepily adding, “and for you I’ll save the world.” What a blessing.