Laura Marling - “Gurdjieff’s Daughter” (Official Video)

Laura Marling’s sinuous fifth album Short Movie came out last week, and today she’s shared the sprightly, tongue-in-cheek video for “Gurdjieff’s Daughter.” Though the songwriting on Short Movie maintains her careful, wise style, Marling also gets more conversational on this record. This video illustrates that, as she wanders through a party nymph-like, doling out advice that’s both sharp and silly. In case you’re interested, some of it does seem to correspond to the teachings of spiritual leader George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, who called his teachings the “Fourth Way,” and left a specific list of maxims dedicated to his daughter Duska Howard. Or perhaps, the song pokes fun at the guru? That tension between the sincere and the sardonic is part of Marling’s eternal appeal, as is the line “Keep your eyes on the back of your mind.” Watch her cavort through a house of friends.