“I’ve been doin’ the bare minimum/ Yet somehow, it’s still not enough.” So sings Chris Farren, just after twirling around the room with a duster, at the outset of his new “First Place” video. The song, about wondering whether a slumping romance has run its course, is the latest single from Farren’s forthcoming Doom Singer. Unlike prior singles “Cosmic Leash” and
“Bluish,” it finds its dynamism without a huge distorted guitar explosion. This new-wavey selection stomps around with an incessant, hard-hitting beat and saxophone by Farren’s Antarctigo Vespucci bandmate and Polyvinyl labelmate Jeff Rosenstock.

Mitra Jouhari of Big Mouth, The Bear, Three Busy Debras, Abbott Elementary, Clone High, et al directed the video. It finds Farren not just traipsing around a home but also apparently fantasizing about marrying the postal worker who slings mail at said home? Am I getting this right? Regardless, Chris Farren videos are always a blast, and this one does not break the streak. “Chris went full method,” Jouhari says. “It was really scary at first but ultimately so inspiring to see him dive so deep into his character (a singer named Chris Farren).”

Watch below.

Doom Singer is out 8/4 on Polyvinyl.