The animated video for “Song for the Dead” drops a year after first appearing on last year’s The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam. It’s timeless because it’s a gorgeous celestial requiem that reminds you of the inescapable fact that people are people still dying. In a year haunted by the deaths of both Gods and mortals, this song might feel more pertinent than when it was first released.
Thundercat is one of the greatest musicians alive because he combines the virtuosity of a master, the playful whimsy of a child, and the depth of feeling that reminds you where the name soul music originally came from. The video is a psychedelic odyssey through life and death, resurrection, wolves, and bass — the sort of thing that you’ll be able to loop until the end of your life, every time someone near you passes. Thundercat understands that life is brutal, so he has worked hard to make something beautiful.
