Father John Misty is back in full force, and it looks like his album is shaping up to be one of the most powerful and poignant release in 2017 — at least so far. Last week he shared the news that his new album Pure Comedy will be out 4/7, and followed that up with the release of a short film chronicling the making of the album — which I called a gift of vulnerability — and the political video for the title track.
Today, he’s shared another song off the record called “Two Wildly Different Perspectives,” which certainly sounds relevant given the last election revealed just how deeply split our country is on how we should be approaching the future. In the clip for the song, children play with guns, appear on the news, and run business meetings, while Josh Tillman sings mournfully about the violent disagreements that plague not just our country, but the entire world at this point. It’s a pointed, tender reflection on how our differences drive us farther apart, and a meditation on what we lose in that space. Contrasting the earlier images with children playing with guns to footage of first person shooter games and plenty of shots of nature drive home the contrasts.
But the lyrics here aren’t geared toward condemning one side, like a lot of political commentary in music does. Instead, Tillman tries to convey the way both sides lose in the midst of these debates. And he’s right, the further we are from finding common ground, the more loss we are sure to face. Watch the video above and look for his new album out on Sub Pop 4/7. You can pre-order it here.
