Fakuta Ends 2011 On A High

If anyone deserves to end 2011 at the peak of a summit, it’s Fakuta.  We’re reminded of this not only because the Chilean indie-pop upstart’s debut Al Vuelo (To Fly) was one of the most enjoyable and critically-acclaimed releases of the year (even making our most impressive debuts list, we dug it that much) but also because in her latest video Fakuta actually treks up a mountain!

In the video for “Aeropuerto,” the second single and final track off her EP, Fakuta and The Laura Palmers (her awesome trio of back-up singers) embark on a “reflective” road-trip northward through the Chilean countryside bound for higher ground. The “Aeropuerto” video concept arose from the song’s verse “Ascender sin temer” (“To ascend without being afraid”)–an idea that mirrors Fakuta’s musical path in 2011 as well.

The clip’s slow-pans and close-ups in the car reminds of REM’s “Everybody Hurts” video, but even still the work by directors Pablo Muñoz and Rosario González is much more cheery. And the video, just like Fakuta, exudes a graceful fearlessness throughout.

Watch “Aeropuerto”: