The next step in the wonderful return of The New Pornographers is “War On The East Coast,” the follow-up to last months new single and title track “Brill Bruisers.”

Director Thom Glunt, a music video veteran, does a fine job of selling chaos, even with a small cast and minimal effects. People sprint in and out of billowing smoke, swinging bats on cars, illustrating chaos while A.C. Newman pines for his beloved “you.” Dan Bejar doesn’t get much to do, but he looks cool doing it, including driving off in the stolen car with the prominently displayed “TNP WOEC” license plate.

Single-take videos always fall somewhere between “fascinating and eloquent tool” and “eye-catching trick;” this video does feel all the better for it.

Newman, describing the video and explaining the band’s rare appearance in it: “We were going for some mid-nineties second-tier Britpop attitude. In the past, I’ve never really wanted to be in the video. But with this, we wanted to have fun and fully be IN the video.” It surely helps when your job is to be cool, calm, and collected amidst madness, all while sporting some nifty aviators.

Brill Bruisers is out August 26 (August 25 in the UK) – make sure to check out the band’s previously-announced tour dates.

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Tyler Hanan

Tyler raves about movies on the Let The Right Films In podcast. Listen to him make jokes over his beleaguered cohost Kayla St. Onge and their more qualified guests who deserve so much better at soundcloud.com/ltrfipod. Find him on Twitter @tylerhanan.

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