Remember St. Vincent's fantastic 'Cheerleader' video? Director Hiro Murai returns to helm the clip for the Shins' 'It's Only Life,' the latest single off the band's 'Port of Morrow' album -- and we'll go ahead and say it: Hiro has done it again.

The 'It's Only Life' video isn't quite as bizarre as 'Cheerleader' -- really, just go ahead and check it out if you haven't yet -- but it does have its share of eccentric moments. Singer James Mercer has been taken prisoner in apocalyptic suburbia by a group of monsters, singing as he's dragged through the grass on a rope tied around his ankles. The creepy bird-horse creatures with black capes sure do a good job of being spooky.

At the same time, a side plot involves a boy attired in a red baseball batting helmet with branches for horns and his dog (Mercer looking back on his innocent youth?) walking around said apocalyptic suburbia, passing scattered trash and abandoned en route to fetching a melted ice cream cone at the local corner store. With nobody around, is it up to him to save the day? Or is he just lighting off fireworks for fun?

As with many Shins clips, the theme remains in the eye of the beholder -- it's up to you to decide exactly what's going on. When you finally do figure it out, let us know in the comments below, because we could certainly use some help with this one.

Watch the Shins' 'It's Only Life' Video

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