{shortcode-455fbb039d651677dc93dfa40bc716c3b9a73cbd}After a single viewing, Echosmith’s premiere video from their new EP “Inside a Dream” may look like a nearly four-minute, multi-product ad with mediocre background music. In addition to evoking strong creeper-van-kidnapper vibes, the track title “Get Into My Car” also calls to mind Billy Ocean’s 1988 single “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” confirming this writer’s long-held suspicion that every installment of contemporary pop culture has a superior 80’s precursor.

The video features lead vocalist Sydney Sierota playing an Uber driver, though her opening admission that she’s been “driving all night” and “burning through lights” does not inspire confidence in potential passengers. Really, how Sierota obtained the driver ratings necessary to continue representing Uber defies imagination. The only conceivable explanation is a theoretical, highly persuasive letter of recommendation from the laboring woman that Sierota helped to the hospital. In either case, there’s nothing for Echosmith to worry about if the Uber career doesn’t pan out, as the band is also repping at least two other brands, including Fiat, McDonalds, and maybe even iPhone.

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At least one passenger must not have been bothered by Sierota’s traffic violations, because he obsessively tracks the singer’s route on his app (not creepy at all) in order to orchestrate a second ride, probably helping boost her ratings in the process. The aforementioned passenger may be played by Sierota’s boyfriend Cameron Quiseng, who is shown sporting black pants, a long-sleeved white button down, and a tie, but in the context of the video, the most remarkable things about him are his tendency to cross paths with Sierota and suspicious lack of a suit coat. By the fourth ride, Sierota comes to Quiseng’s house expecting to pick him up as usual, but is surprised to be pulled inside for a romantic indoor picnic at the bachelor pad. She conveniently happens to be wearing thigh-high boots and a velvet minidress for the occasion. Be careful not to pause the video during the final scene, or a still of Sierota’s McCafe—label perfectly aligned—may cause you to forget that the focus of this video is actually its music.

All that aside, once you give the video a chance (read: watch it seven more times), these miniscule criticisms begin to lose their potency and Echosmith’s attempt at a serious social critique takes center stage. Perhaps the song’s sketchy title is warranted, as the car in question does drive for Uber, a company that has repeatedly come under fire for its questionable ethics in recent months. In an interesting reversal of Uber’s infamous “Greyball” tool, which allows the company to evade local authorities who try to hail rides, Echosmith’s video depicts the passenger played by Quiseng turning the tables and using the company’s technology to track his driver, Sierota. (What other explanation could there possibly be for the actors’ incessant use of the Uber mobile app?) In doing so, Echosmith suggests that Uber drivers are also affected by the company’s habit of skirting of the law, a fact that’s all too real, according to the drivers who filed a class action lawsuit against the company. In fact, by the end of the video, Echosmith has succeeded in transforming Quiseng into the Uber empire personified. He forces himself into Sierota’s life just like Uber forced itself into the ride-hailing market—with no permission and little regard for the status quo.

Unfortunately for Uber, its attempt to recruit Echosmith into its ranks seems to have backfired. Fooled by the presence of other products in “Get Into My Car,” Uber failed to realize these were included with the sole purpose of providing a distraction (and probably lining Echosmith’s pockets in the process). Sorry, McDonalds and Fiat. You, too, have been played by Echosmith.

But chastising Uber came at a price. Echosmith had to sacrifice their song in order to do so. Reminiscent of Phillip Phillips’ “Home,” which will forever be associated with American Family Insurance, it’s now impossible to listen to “Get Into My Car” without picturing a strange combination of the Uber logo and the golden arches. The innocence of the video’s trope—passenger serendipitously falls in love with driver—results in a song that is unable to withstand the blatant, excessive product placement to which Echosmith subjects it. While the band’s underlying message is admirable, it’s so subtle that without the proper focus, you may finish the video and believe that you’ve been watching a cheesy ad montage all along.

—Staff writer Julia L. Englebert can be reached at julia.englebert@thecrimson.com.