Hear now: New video from Father John Misty: 'I'm Writing a Novel'

Hear now: New video from Father John Misty: ‘I’m Writing a Novel’

Father John Misty, a.k.a. Josh Tillman, has released three tongue-in-cheek pop tunes ahead of his new album.

By Randall Roberts

Sept. 11, 2013 11:15 AM PT

Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic

When the history of classic Los Angeles songs is written, Father John Misty’s “I’m Writing a Novel” will be a 2012 boldface listing. Featuring jaunts through Malibu, West Hollywood and the canyons, the song’s a love letter to the place that Misty, born Josh Tillman, calls home. A year after its release, Misty’s just released a new video for it, and it’s a joy to both hear and absorb. Newcomers to the Misty vibe just might find a new love, and longtime fans will fall for “Novel” all over again.

In fact, Father John Misty’s 2012 album, “Fear Fun,” from which the song is taken, stands a good chance of being viewed as a Southern California classic in a few decades. A breezy, joyful and deep collection with many references to the city, “Fear Fun” honors Hollywood in “Funtimes in Babylon,” a Mid-City landmark in “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings,” various locales in “Novel,” and delivers many unspoken musical allusions to the city’s rich scene throughout.

The new clip revels in Los Angeles, moving with Tillman and friends as they roam the region in an old hearse and hum through Silver Lake, frolic on the beach, take over a cruise ship. At the latter locale, professional photo bomber Har Mar Superstar arrives, an unspoken confirmation that Misty’s making further connections within the city’s inner music sanctum. Interspersed are clips of Tillman in concert, which should serve as a reminder of the artist’s magnetic stage presence.

Watch the video below.