At this point this almost qualifies as “housekeeping” but yes Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) dropped the title track of his forthcoming third album the other day, and “Pure Comedy” more than lives up the hype. For those just tuning in, it appears that liberal democracy/American democracy/the West/western civilization is collapsing all around us in real time, and Josh isn’t immune to that growing sense of dread, hence this devastatingly trenchant piece of art from his Father John Misty alter ego, even though that constructed duality too seems to be collapsing.
The video, directed by Matthew Daniel Siskin is already in the running for “video of the year” (in my dreams) thanks to it’s almost ecstatic depressiveness and up to the minute black humor, and the fact that it sums up the existential quagmire of 2017 perfectly. Pure Comedy arrives April 7, and hopefully a tour will be announced, including hopefully a stop in Buffalo; in the meantime, hold on tight.