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Video: Cass McCombs – “The Great Pixley Train Robbery”

His upcoming ninth album Tip of the Sphere isn’t out until February 8, but Cass McCombs is making the wait a little easier with a brand new single, out today. “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” is the third single from Tip of the Sphere, following last month’s laid-back “Estrella” and the smoldering lead single “Sleeping Volcanoes” back in October.

McCombs has always been a great storyteller, and “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” is a perfect showcase for his narrative creativity. Inspired by a California newspaper clipping from the 1800s, the song tells a dramatic tale of train robbery in dangerous circumstances: “We forced 7000 in gold / two were killed in the melee / A fireman of the train / And a passenger from Modesto.” The new track comes along with a music video, which features stock images of trains, along with a few notable train-related movie clips. There’s a picture of Ringo Starr holding a small Thomas The Tank figure, and the opening scene from Sergio Leone’s classic film Once Upon a Time in The West makes an appearance towards the end of the video.

Cass McCombs’ last album was 2016’s Mangy Love. He’ll be touring this year in support of Tip of the Sphere, with shows beginning in early March. Grab a ticket here, and watch the music video for “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” below.