Last week, Philadelphia’s Michael Cormier released a new music video for “Last Hurrah,” his latest incursion of intimate left-field folk. Created by Luisa Levine, the cartoonish visuals portray an attempted birthday reunion at a karaoke bar, emphasizing the underlying chaos that eventually overtakes the celebratory nature of such occasions. The track marks the third teaser from Cormier’s highly anticipated solo LP More Light!! due out June 26 on a co-release through his own imprint Dear Life Records and Oof Records.
Of the song and video, Cormier says: “I’ve been to a handful of birthdays like this, and while I think they are a blast, the setting is perfect for exploring isolation and late 20s ennui. I was trying to write a song that did something like that, zooming in a little too close for a little too long past the external jubilation of communion towards the festering dread seething beneath the surface.”
Beyond its captivating animation, “Last Hurrah” reflects thematic and musical values explored in depth on More Light!!. On his new record, Cormier proves an expert at spotlighting microscopic fears, joys, and anxieties that, while small, weigh heavily on the heart and mind. It’s the sound of an artist opening themselves up to the world and finding beauty in illuminating the smallest details imaginable.
The result of this writing approach is a bounty of songs that evoke humor, happiness, and melancholy, often set to subtle guitar melodies backed by idiosyncratic instrumental arrangements that range from unexpected keyboards to spontaneous field recordings. In the case of “Last Hurrah,” Cormier is joined by burgeoning folk-pop sorceress Lou Turner, who lays down sweet and tender Jenny Lewis-esque harmonies alongside Cormier’s beckoning whisper and some dizzying flute work that lends the song an eccentric psychedelic exterior.
Watch the video for “Last Hurrah” below and buy + stream Michael Cormier’s new album More Light!! out everywhere June 26 via Dear Life Records.
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