Josh Tillman, former member of Fleet Foxes, aka Father John Misty has gone in the past few years from being just another Folk Rocker to a bonafide Rock Star. Now, Father John was recording under his own name for years, and I mean years. But it was around the time he renamed himself and released "Fear Fun" that people started to take notice. This album had some smooth Folk Rock jams, with some Psych Rock thrown in too. It's a very interesting album with some really great moments, like the stunning single "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings". But it was Tillman's writing on this thing that really won me over. There were these unbearably sarcastic and witty lines that really grabbed my attention, and Father John just seemed like the character that Indie needed at the moment. And trust me, he proved he was just that on 2015's spectacular "I Love You, Honeybear". This was once again a very lush and beautiful Folk album. But Josh did the right thing and let his character guide this album. This was no longer just another Folk Rock album, this was the coming of a Folk Rock prophet who had a lot to say that you needed to hear. He took the normal Folk formula, added in some thinking man's lyrics, and endless cynicism and sarcasm, all while still remaining personal. He brought us into him losing his virginity on "Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)", led a fake crowd to rise up and sing with him on "Bored In The USA", got sappy on the title track, and gave a detailed description of anything but the ideal husband on "The Ideal Husband". Josh Tillman had completely encompassed the Father John Misty persona, and I couldn't get enough. And if Father John wasn't already a Prophet of Indie Folk, he most certainly became one on 2017's "Pure Comedy". This album was much more dense to get into, with Tillman often going off on rants that could easily been 6, 9, or 13 minutes long. But like most of Tilman's work, if you're patient with it, it's outrageously rewarding. With song topics ranging from virtual reality, to social media, to the current state of the human race, Father John has a LOT to say. Not only that, but it just seemed to me like Father John Misty was able to bring up points about subjects that we'd all rather not talk about, and do it properly to. All of course, with his trademark wit and cynicism. It's not a fun album, and it's far from an easy one to dissect, but it's worth it. So I'll be honest, I really didn't expect to hear from Josh this soon. But he sounds oddly refreshed, and much more personal than we've heard in a while. Let's chat shall we.
(A personal favorite of mine!)
This album starts off with the very smooth “Hangout at the Gallows”, and immediately it’s so evident how far Father John has come from been just another Indie Folker with a guitar. However, I do feel like he’s reached a new level of quaintness. His vocals are coming off immediately much more like actual singing, compared to his in-depth analytic rants that we got on “Pure Comedy”. And no, that wasn’t a problem, but here he sounds like the most charming and intellectual bar singer you’ve ever heard. Not to mention, there’s a grandiosity to this that I can’t say no too, and it just get’s bigger as this rolls on. With strings, jazzy horns and all, this is one hell of an intro. In a way, there’s almost a sort of Beatles flair to “Hangout at the Gallows”, especially in the bands later days. And after all these years, Tillman finds himself wrapped up in the same lyrical topics. While overall this is a little more cryptic from Father John, it ends up being a seriously incredible performance. On the other hand, “Mr. Tillman” is the sort of whimsical, warm folk we got on his debut project years ago. Now, this one has sort of puzzled me since the first time I heard it. It’s just so surreal and bizarre, and I really don’t know where Tillman is going with it. But he’s such a captivating performer that I can’t say no. I love the sort of Piano Rock vibes of this one, and Father John as bizarre as this has gotten is literally making him come off as more of a prophet then ever. It’s also so much more straightforward, yet still captivating. Yes, “Mr. Tillman” is a surreal, fever dream of a Folk Tune, but I love it. Now, “Just Dumb Enough To Try” is once again, a piano ballad. And yes, there is a pattern here, and that’s not changing anytime soon. It’s just as obsessed with love as on “I Love You Honeybear”, but this also seems a whole lot more grounded. And at the end of the day, I feel like Father John comes off much more human here, which is interesting. He was once this higher power watching over all things love, but here he just sort of seems like a practicer of love, one with all of the same weaknesses of ours. Now, I must admit, of all of the singles here, this is probably my least favorite. It’s still lush and beautiful, and Father John is just so incredible at performing that he has me right in the palm of his hand. But I do sort of miss some of the more instantly catchy days of the past. On the other hand, “Date Night” is just the sort of classy, instantaneous track I needed to hear. I don’t know why, but I get a sort of Queens of the Stone Age vibe in some of these vocal harmonies. This one has it all, being just as cryptic and well thought out as some of the early tracks here. But this one also has some snarky attitude to it that I really love. On top of all of that, it’s engaging instrumentally between the oddball sound effects and the confident piano riff. It’s literally the perfect combination of sounds for Father John Misty.
“Please Don’t Die” on the other hand is much more lavish and classy. I have to say though, some of the production continues to be really interesting and makes this even more beautiful. Here, once again, Father John Misty comes off as so human, just as helpless and confused as everyone around him, But he’s also just as much as a hopeless romantic as us, and it’s charming. This is easily one of the more passionate performances here. Even instrumentally, it’s just so epic and uses build-up wonderfully. It’s also just SO Father John, beings so breezy and sunny, with a whole lot of very morbid themes flowing freely through. Sadly though, I do feel like it’s tracks like “The Palace” that sort of bring this album down a few notches with me. While Father John Misty has made a career out of piano ballads and very wordy performances, this is just a little faceless for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful and all, and thankfully his performance is strong enough and his vocals sound great. But this to me just comes off like too many songs Tillman has wrote in the past. And it’s not even just the melody, even the lyrics seem like snippets we’ve heard from tracks he’s already recorded. It’s not the worst thing here, but I just know Tillman can do better. Thankfully “Disappointing Diamonds Are The Rarest of Them All” is a nice break up from the monotony of that one with a nice punchy riff. I love just how anthemic this one is and just how big it is, even though Tillman’s vocals on the chorus are a little iffy. But everything else about this track is modern Folk gold. It’s charming, sweet, and it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at all. But I really can’t shake the feeling that this is a totally different Josh Tillman this time around. Gone is the prophet that broke down every flaw of the human race in 2018, and in his place we see a mortal man who has a pretty clear head to say the least. On the other hand, “God’s Favorite Customer” has a broken down and bluesy feel to it that I seriously love. I love just how rugged this one is, and I absolutely love Josh’s vocals and lyrics are here. There’s a lot of lyrics that could be dove into immensely and really dissected. And to be honest, that’s what makes his performance so timeless. This one just has this free-wheeling, no rules feel that is right up Father John Misty’s alley. And the female vocals that pop in here almost give this one a haunting feel to it. It’s beautiful and epic, and while I wish this album was a little more in-depth and conceptual, it’s charming to hear Father John in a more human light.
“The Songwriter” is up next, and sadly I sort of think a lot of the same things about this one that I did “The Palace”. In every way, I just sort of feel like this one has been done before in numerous different ways, all by Misty. It’s emotional and all, and certainly beautiful. But this is a major low point for the album. I can’t completely hate it because lyrically this is absolutely engaging in parts. But I literally feel like I can pinpoint numerous moments here where I feel like I’ve having deja vu. Thankfully, “We’re Only People (And There’s Not Much Anyone Can Do About That)” is the absolutely gigantic and intense finale I needed. If there was a sort of Beatles flair earlier then it’s absolutely gigantic here. This one, compared to some of the more unfocused moments here, is absolutely spot on. It’s anthemic and makes me want to just belt out everything being sung here. It’s lavish and lush, and it’s moments like this that make it so obvious that Jonathan Rado did so much with this album. Not only does Tillman here seem more human than ever, he seems like one that’s just as flawed as everyone around him. It’s the epic finale that I needed.
Rating: 8.1/10
Give A Listen To: “Mr. Tillman”, “Date Night”, “God’s Favorite Customer”, “We’re Only People (And There’s Not Much Anyone Can Do About That)”
Least Favorite Track: “The Songwriter”
Genre: Indie Folk / Indie Rock
Overall Thoughts: Father John Misty has come full circle completely, going from calling out every flaw of the human race on his last album (and being spot on with it), to being more human and flawed than ever. There are moments here where Josh Tillman comes off as a hopeless romantic, while other times he’s just a casual observer of this generation's constant spiraling out of control. But this time around, Father John just comes off so much more down to earth, and that alone makes this worth a listen. There are captivating performances, sharp lyrics, and an overall grandiose vibe that I didn’t know I wanted to hear in Father John Misty's music. Now personally, I sort of wish this was a little longer, and maybe a little more conceptual. But this album proves that Josh Tillman is one of the music world’s most current living legends, and one of the more brilliant performers of our time.
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