Father John Misty Makes Melancholic Video For “Leaving LA”

Yes, it is the quintessential white guy in 2017 who takes himself too goddamn seriously. That’s Father John Misty, alter ego of Josh Tillman, who, in his new music video for 13 minute-long “Leaving LA,” references a pull quote of his own cover piece, a la Paste Quarterly or anywhere else, really—he’s gone from funny guy to resident political prophet, a sensation who has many rolling their eyes and music nerds analyzing and categorizing Tillman’s songs. At least, as we note in our cover piece, when he performed “Leaving LA” live at XPoNential Music Festival post-announcement of Trump’s candidacy, nobody got it, with subsequent headlines reading “Father John Misty Rants Onstage.”

The “Leaving LA” video is soothing, with the movement of strings and Tillman strumming his guitar en noir. The lyrical gems stand out, with “These LA phonies and their bullshit bands / They sound like dollar signs and Amy Grant” and “The few things a songwriter needs / Arrows of love, a mask of tragedy” among them. At least, in this video (directed by Tillman and Grant James) there is a lot less chaos than in “Total Entertainment Forever” or “Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before The Revolution”—probably the goal to feel overstimulated, but here we’re taking a step back to appreciate the opus that is Pure Comedy. It’s out now via Sub Pop, kids, and it’s on our list of the year’s best albums, too, might we add.

If you don’t want to miss any of our John Misty coverage, let us humbly suggest a few highlights. “I”m Writing A Novel” is available via the Paste Cloud below.