Desaparecidos is Conor Oberst’s—of Bright Eyes—punk outlet that disbanded back in 2002. Now that they’ve reunited, we can look forward to more music from white dudes screaming about global issues, because we really need more of those. This time around, Chile gets name checked in their newest track, “Te Amo Camila Vallejo,” an ode to the Chilean Communist radical who became the face and voice of the 2011 student protest movement.
The track plays out like all that post-hardcore and pop-punk you loved so much as a middle schooler, back when no one understood you and the Man—read: your parents—was trying to get you down. This song is what happens when those eighth graders stumble upon too much NPR and want to stick it to said Man through ART.
At one point, during the song’s climax, we hear from Vallejo herself, arguably the best part of the song. But, in the future, if you really want to celebrate a revolutionary who’s made it her mission in life to be heard, don’t let your over-privileged music drown out her speech because it sounds cool, bro.
Aside from the song’s myopic handling of this cultural/political figure, it’s hard to take this song seriously with lines like, “Camila, there’s a fire in your heart,” and “Let me carry your umbrella / Let’s go walking in the rain.” Oy. Guys, come on! Me? I appreciate a little subtlety and subtext in my radical pop cries. Basically, like many things: good intention, shitty execution.
Click on the image below to listen to the song.
