Not since Valerie Cherish has a comeback been so self-referential. Of course, we wouldn't expect anything less from Cody Critcheloe. The genius behind SSION returns today with "Big as I Can Dream" and "Comeback." These are Critcheloe's first new material under the aforementioned moniker in what feels like ages. (It's only been a handful of years.)
After a break from the music world to flex his directing muscles, the New York City musician, performer, and artist is wasting no time in easing back into the swing of things. "Big as I Can Dream" and "Comeback" lead right into the other in a new short film directed by Critcheloe himself. It's a Lynchian masterpiece bursting with color and post-ironic humor while the many iterations of Critcheloe parade across the screen. "It lays out like the past, the present, and the future in a weird way," Critcheloe says to The Fader, explaining the idea behind the video. "It's got the teen heartthrob at the beginning who also resurfaces at the end. He's the person that I'm casting to play me."
There's a lot to parse here, but it's worth every hit of the replay button because, like with any SSION project, the truth is in Critcheloe's nuance. How many pop culture references can you spot? We'll give you a hint on one: a particularly famous rock album comes to life about halfway through.
SSION's new album, O, drops early 2018.
