Earl Vallie - "Autumn Leaves"

Today, Look At My Records! is excited to share the video for “Autumn Leaves,” the brand new single from one of the most interesting and unique songwriters playing today, Earl Vallie. It’s the follow up to his last song “Prom,” a dramatic, boot-stomping, folk-noir that introduced listeners to his gregarious musical personality.   

 “Autumn Leaves” is a perfect representation of Vallie’s unparalleled, genre-defying sound. The song is unconventional in almost every aspect, which makes it all the more endearing, and showcases Vallie’s willingness to think outside the box melodically, effectively pushing the boundaries of both folk, country, and psychedelia.  Vallie sings with a distinct and emotion-fueled howl, one that’s perfectly suited for traveling along dusty trails while lamenting some of the darker places that life has taken you. His nimble, yet powerful guitar playing, along with the vibrant and unconventional percussive stylings of Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, give the song an instrumental might to match Vallie’s inimitable vocal delivery. Through all of these pronounced elements, “Autumn Leaves” manages to simultaneously possess the gusto of an opera and the downhome nature of a folk song, especially as Vallie stirringly relates the seasonal wilting of trees to personal struggle.

The accompanying video is lovingly quirky, placing the main focus on Vallie as he moves amongst a patchwork of interposed clips and backgrounds, including an abandoned home, a sparse field of sunflowers, and more. Across its runtime, the video appears to cycle through an entire day, so the end gets a bit dark and eerie. Make sure you watch the whole thing.

Stream the video below!

“Autumn Leaves” will appear on Vallie’s forthcoming album Ghost Approaches, which is set for release on June 3rd via Perpetual Doom. You can pre-order the album on limited edition vinyl or cassette via Bandcamp. Keep up with Vallie by following him on Instagram.