Video: Cass McCombs – “Unearthed”

The majority of Cass McCombs’ new video for “Unearthed,” directed by Eric Fensler, consists of a fixed timelapse shot of a mountain, slowly being eclipsed by shadow as a plume of condensation flags out from the summit. “Unearthed” is the ghostly, ethereal closing track from McCombs’ incredible 2013 double LP Big Wheel and Others. Fensler’s video also featured a weary, collapsed climber and a brief shot of a helicopter flyover. However, Fensler isn’t giving away any secrets, as he insisted in a press release that the story is for the viewer to decipher and interpret. Indeed, Fensler seems to be playing at larger ideas here: darkness, light, change, obstacle, heroism. Also of note: the footage for the video is run in reverse, as evidenced by the direction of the cloud condensation. Is this decision significant? It means the mountain is gradually shaded rather than gradually revealed. But what that means, we can’t say. Although, without a doubt, we love McCombs’ song and Fensler’s video, and you can watch and listen above. Enjoy.