by: tiffany czech
If it feels like the entire world is loud, one may find some solace when beginning to watch the new video for Ricky Reed and Michael Sneed’s “Shipwreck”, which appears on Reed’s critically acclaimed debut album, The Room. Once immersed in the world of “Shipwreck”, however, the viewer will come to realize that it is a much needed and appreciated look at the inner dialogue of someone who is feeling hopeless and exhausted amidst a slew of devastation, including limitations on his freedom due to systemic oppression.
The video is calm while the lyrics tell a heartbreaking story of insecurity and struggle. Filmed in a seemingly secluded shipyard, the video serves as an accurate visual for this story as the character describes feelings of loneliness. One may compare seeing Sneed singing with nobody around to listen to feeling like they are screaming into a void, which may be just what he was going for. The character in the song feels weak and unable to swim through the various obstacles he has been met with, deciding it will be easier to drown. By the end, the viewer is left with a thought-provoking perspective about what it means to be free. Perhaps this character is stronger than he perceives himself to be. Sneed seems to believe so, saying:
The character of this song views himself as a coward. But to willingly die into the unknown has to be one of the bravest things a human being can do. So it hurts and terrifies me to know that we live in a dangerous space where there are people brave enough to have a stare down with the mysteries of death but feel they are too much of a coward to continue living their life and fighting for the freedoms and joys they believe they deserve.
