Gotye

Close friends recently lost their best pal, a wonderful dog named Bailey. This tune, from Gotye's astonishing 2011 "Making Mirrors" album, is one the artist wrote for a set of his own friends whose dog, Bronte, had been put to sleep. It's a lovely, respectful and affectionate song without being saccharine. And the Japanese-style animation, depicting a young girl growing up with her own pet, is just wonderful and sad in its depiction of love, loyalty and longing against the passage of time. Oh, and ya never know: Gotye plays Wednesday in the Mohegan Sun Arena, and "Bronte" has been known to pop up in his set lists with the full video on the big screen behind him. To see the video: youtube.com/watch?v=le34ygtODfI

- RICK KOSTER