Father John Misty continues to make a case for himself as one of the most important solo musical artists in the world. The musician formerly known as Josh Tillman has taken a long and often circuitous path to the brink of peerless musical artistry. Father John makes much of what’s on the charts these days seem like a laughable and embarrassing exercise in show business branding.
The good father is a true artiste and an eccentric and uncompromising genius. His musical grasp of songwriting and ability to deliver a vocal of such conviction and passion, as well as his tendency to draw from an endless well of musical styles are nothing short of astonishing. Any descriptions or superlatives come up short in effectively conveying his artistry.
One wonders, if only for a brief moment, if the father is such an extraordinary artist, or if today’s popular music fails so spectacularly that it elevates his art. The argument favors the good father when one imagines him being around when true musical gods roamed the earth in the ’60s and ’70s. He would have fit right in and his place would have been just as elevated among solo music artists of that era.
Unlike the overnight sensations that hit the charts and are gone from sight by their third or fourth albums, the good father has been toiling and woodshedding for years to reach his current musical summit. Hailing from Seattle, under his given name, he made eight albums between 2003 and 2010 on a slew of small record labels and two albums with Saxon Shore prior to those solo albums.
After Fleet Foxes recorded two EPs and their self-titled debut album, he joined the group for their brilliant Helplessness Blues in 2011. Fleet Foxes seemed like the perfect band for him to be a part of at the time. They were as equally talented and made uncompromising, yet welcoming music and the album he recorded with them still sounds fresh today, as does all the music they recorded before and after his departure. His leaving the group contributed to a major derailment of the band, partially chronicled on their aptly titled Crack Up, released in 2017.
The first Father John Misty album appeared on Sub Pop, his home since 2012 and this new album is his sixth. Not as homespun as Fleet Foxes, Father John is a more regal and timeless figure in the tradition of such artists as Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Scott Walker, and Rufus Wainwright for the uninitiated, but there’s a whimsy and tenderness to his music that sheds more light than dark on his songs. He even covered Cohen’s “One of Us Cannot Be Wrong.”
He truly has a beautiful voice, but it’s not in your face and there are very little if any long passages of overwrought emoting. He’s a provocateur when he wants to be and pointed when taunting the hypocrites, charlatans, and greed-heads who have sacrificed all human emotion for money, power, and ego. Not that the good father doesn’t have plenty of ego, but it’s playful and satirical. He has a devilish streak, but has the heart of an angel. The titles of his third and fourth albums reflect just what you’re going to get, on the surface, when listening to his music: Pure Comedy and (narration by) God’s Favorite Customer.
The new album like the previous five, is pure Father John gospel, but like every album, it is something new and different. With each album Father John’s music deepens and we continue to get to witness his musical evolution. “Mental Health,” “Screamland,” and “Summer’s Gone” are meditative songs of great beauty, romanticism, and empathy that offer a contrast to the more tortured and painful songs. The title of the album is Sanskrit and refers to the ground where a cremation happens. The title was inspired by Bruce Wagner’s novel Memorial released in 2006.
An album this glorious can only be attained by the assistance of a plethora of people. While Drew Erickson and Jonathan Wilson remain the two key producers involved, Father John’s band was much more front and center for the creation of the music. There are six core musicians on the album. There are 12 members of a choir and The Nona Quartet supplying orchestrations. Along with Father John, Erickson, and Wilson and his core band, there are another 11 musicians.
It is recommended to listen to this album on vinyl. A special “Loser” first-pressing, colored vinyl, limited edition release is available as a double album with a gatefold package and a poster. Father John is out on a world tour this year from April 3rd through September 20th. Check our God’s favorite customer in an evening of fear, fun, comedy, and drama that should not be missed.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
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