What’s with Rachael Yamagata and animals?

Screen shot from Rachael Yamagata's new video. Watch it here: http://video.aol.com/video/even-if-i-dont/3792041096.

First elephants, now bunnies and jungle cats. In the video released yesterday for “Even If I Don’t,” the single off Yamagata’s album Chesapeake due out this October, features a bittersweet romance between a bunny and a large jungle cat (note to a certain music website, it’s a Tiger not a Lion). Chesapeake, due out this October, is Yamagata’s first solo album since 2008’s two-part album Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart. On Elephants, Yamagata dealt with breakups, both in business and life. The first part echoed an internal and vulnerable struggle with a breakup, but aside from the opening track—which uses the lives of elephants to mirror a bad relationship—I never quite understand her affinity for elephants.

Before releasing Elephants, Yamagata struggled with business breakups and industry issues. But with Chesapeake, which will be released on her own label Frankenfish Records, she seems happier, even if the tiger and bunny can’t live happily ever after.

Dressed in what looks like singing-telegram animal outfits, Yamagata and whomever she convinced to don the tiger suit, share a brief romance. Although the video is a bit odd—especially the bubble bath scene—Yamagata makes it work. Her crooning and the floating melody somehow give the doe-eyed bunny and gaping-mouth tiger sympathetic expressions that change as the song moves along.

Watch the video here.