Fredo Viola’s upcoming third album, My New Head, is a daring foray into musical genius. Dropping not just digitally but also as an anachronistic vinyl release, My New Head was a passion project, crowdfunded and recorded in the deepest heart of the 2020 Covid pandemic. Music video Pine Birds is a timely, topical blend of pandemic realities, anxiety-fueled nightmares, and fantastic fiction.

Directed, shot, edited, and composited by multi-hyphenate creator Fredo Viola, with additional camera operation by Luis Mojica, Pine Birds captures your heart and holds onto it with a deadly grip, from the first lingering shots of mask-wearing pedestrians crowding the streets, until the very last dissonant, solitary note. When a man (Viola) sees visions of a mysterious house, he is introduced to a new, frightening, exhilarating version of himself, and his reality.

Walking the delicate tightrope of fear, fantasy, and the fantastic, Pine Birds is an astonishing feat, combining brilliant musical composition with stunning visuals and deep pathos. While the deepest meaning of Pine Birds could be open to audience interpretation, you can’t help the creeping sensation that you see yourself in Viola’s dark, frightened eyes–and that maybe you’ve heard this song before. But of course, you haven’t. And I haven’t. And as a musician myself, this is a unique, unconventional tip of the hat to music maestros too often overlooked by the mainstream. Dissonance and minor chords, combined with Viola’s strong, deeply melodic voice, create a haunting and unforgettable musical moment, perfectly accompanied by something that is much more short film than music video.

Watch the Pine Birds single–available February 12th–below and remember My New Head (mynewhead.com) drops on April 9.

8 out of 10