Original Sin: The Seven Sins and the Music of INXS

Jane is reeling from the anguish of a break-up and ailing due to the isolation of Xi Jinping’s pandemic. Instead of processing her pain through the four stages of grief, she works her way through the Seven Deadly Sins. Her heartbreak is so epic, it takes on a form inspired by Dante’s Inferno, set to the music of 1980’s super-group INXS. Each sin gets its own INXS hit, re-interpreted by guest artists with the approval of the surviving band members in Amy Tinkham’s short film Original Sin: The 7 Sins, which streams for a limited time on Veep.

Jane is pining for the ex that ghosted her, but it is hard to understand why. Frankly, the dweeb was out of the dancer’s league, especially when her attractive next-door neighbor so obviously carries a torch for her. Nevertheless, she descends into a self-destruction maelstrom of sin, guided astray by the Mephistophelean “Angel.” At least it is an orderly process, beginning with pride (which is still a deadly sin here, so give Tinkham credit for theological accuracy).

Each sin gets its own song, but casual INXS fans may take exception to the radically new arrangements. For those in the mood for some 1980s nostalgia (aren’t we always?) Tricky & INXS’s take on “Mediate” is probably the most recognizable and successful. More adventurous listeners (or less faithful fans) should appreciate how Global Network & Sophia Amato transform a tune like “Never Tear Us Apart.” Wyatt Stromer takes “What You Need” and “Need You Tonight” (with Eric Stromer in the former case and Trevor Jackson in the latter) and makes them sound almost unrecognizable, largely by down-laying the familiar vamps and riffs.