The video for Brooke Josephson’s “Good Kinda Tired” may seem, on first viewing, like an inventive bit of conceptually driven fun. It’s more, however, and successive viewings reveal its depths. Michelle Bossy’s expert direction does a classy job of bringing the life of a 1960s housewife to life without a drop of irony or breathing life into the video as a gimmick and nothing else. It is a concept video, without a doubt, but dovetails into the track’s message rather than existing as strictly eye candy for viewers.
It depicts a tired housewife unwinding at the end of the day and waiting for her husband’s arrival home from work. She has addressed the concerns of keeping a “good house” and now finds she has precious little time for herself when she sees herself portraying a music performer on an Ed Sullivan-like television variety show.
It inspires something in her. She climbs on top of the bed as the music unleashes something long denied in her, singing along with music, and dancing throughout the room. It sets up a perhaps inevitable conclusion for the video, but the ride there is brimming with energy and a fun-loving embrace of the moment.
It doesn’t hurt that she has such first-rate material to work with. “Good Kinda Tired” triangulates three genres, rock, pop, and country, without ever erring too much into a single particular style. Maintaining that balance is impressive. The guitar running throughout the track definitely gives a brewing quality to the composition that Josephson fully exploits with each pass through the chorus.
She has a considered approach though. There’s never any rushing “Good Kinda Tired” along the way and Josephson is always careful to refrain from applying too much force in the performance. The chorus hits hard, without question, but you even hear a bit of restraint there. Tasteful performance aesthetics are an important part of what Josephson does and each second of “Good Kinda Tired” underlines their value for her.
The drumming has an authoritative snap. Josephson, however, wisely opts for uncluttered percussion that eschews excessive fills or ornamentation. The overall sound she achieves with this single is a full-blooded representation of both the skill and passion that Brooke Josephson brings to her musical art. It’s impossible to pinpoint any effects diluting the listening experience.
The unfettered presentation is in keeping with the song’s authentic spirit. Unimpeachable honesty radiates from every passage of “Good Kinda Tired” and the sense of release that comes with the song’s chorus proves to be a peak moment. It’s the kind of moment that, alongside others, invites you back for repeated listens. Make no mistake that Brooke Josephson’s “Good Kinda Tired” has all of the hallmarks of enduring value.
It’s a defining track in Josephson’s musical journey. There are more such tracks to come, of course, but “Good Kinda Tired” boasts the sort of inexhaustible appeal that persists over long careers. It’ll keep many listeners coming back for more and that’s good because Brooke Josephson is far from finished.
Heather Savage
