FRANK N BEATS

Earlier this week, ex-Fleet Foxes drummer and longtime singer-songwriter J. Tillman announced the details of his latest project Fear Fun, which will be released under the name Father John Misty, as opposed to his previous solo releases. A video for the first single “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” featuring Aubrey Plaza came attached with the announcement. Directed by Noel Paul, the video follows Plaza’s character as she proceeds to trash a funeral and wander out in to the wilderness, before being captured by Tillman and summarily thrown in his van.

With such a striking video, it’d be easy to go on about its star and concept, but the song itself is really the highlight here. Starting off with a heavy drum pattern and a brash guitar melody, the likes of which we’ve never heard from Tillman, “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” kicks you in the teeth from the start and doesn’t let up until a suspenseful break halts everything about halfway through. A beautiful harmony of lush, layered vocals follows the break, gently easing you back in to the guitar melody before the song’s end. Needless to say, the prospect of a heavier, more upbeat project for Tillman is an exciting one, and we’ll get to hear how it fleshes out on May 1st, when the album is released on Sub Pop.