Father John Misty – Bored in the USA
SoundCloud
Despite having over half a dozen solo albums to his name, Josh Tillman’s star didn’t really begin to ascend until 2012. After stepping out from behind the drum kit of Fleet Foxes and finding a new creative identity for himself, the seasoned musician moved to the center of the stage to display the wonderfully obscure and somewhat grotesque masquerade he calls Father John Misty. An unshakeable mix of macabre lyrical picture painting, drugs, faded mysticism, contemporary cynicism and grouchy barbs pointed with uncomfortable truths, Fear Fun, the first outing as Father John, didn’t just shine a subtle light on Tillman’s talent, it illuminated his ability like a solar flare. Three years later and Misty is back with his follow up, I Love You, Honeybear. A record comprised of love songs — but when I say love songs, I of course mean love songs in the most unconventional and contorted sense of the word.
The opening title track sets the tone wonderfully as Tillman croons over bar room blues to his titular “I Love You, Honeybear”, telling her that despite his family history of depression and her family’s history of schizophrenia, she’s the one he wants to be with when the world ends. Before we get to this most romantic of notions, though, Misty guides us through some of the downright awful and loathsome times he’s had with other people, as “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment” best documents. This new album is similar to how Fear Fun was undoubtedly a product of theatrical darkness and exaggerated misery, but underneath the surface there is an awful lot of messy truth to be found. Truth that is wonderfully decorated with whip smart presentation, a wicked sense of gallows humor and sideshow strangeness. Lyrically and thematically it’s a record that much like it’s predecessor has the ability to divide opinions, but in my estimation it’s further evidence that Tillman under his artistic guise of Father John is one of the best songwriters working today.
Musically it’s pretty damn fantastic too. With the exception of the synth driven “True Affection”, the album steeps itself in the boozy, countrified blues and folk sound that was displayed first time around. The solid structures are still there as is Misty’s knack of carving infectious melodies, however the overall sound of I Love You, Honeybear is bigger and bolder. Swelling string arrangements and choral vocals are accompanied by shimmering steel guitar parts and percussive extras to form a meatier musical presence. Yet despite the fuller framework, Tillman still knows when to scale things back and allow a more intimate presence woven between his words. The hybrid of satire and sadness that is “Bored in the USA” and the delicate and distraught finale “I Went to the Store One Day” are shining examples of how Tillman’s voice and words shine brightly when backed by more subtle surroundings. His prickly cabaret is certainly not for everyone and his jaded perspective might challenge newcomers, but even those most skeptical of his style should give this a listen. It not only builds upon the exciting foundations of what came prior but as a stand-alone entry, it stands tall as a truly masterful creation that continuously demands attention.
