Joshua Tillman, AKA Father John Misty, got his start as the drummer in Fleet Foxes, and he’s come a long way since then. Mahashmahashana is his latest album (and 6th overall as Father John Misty), and showcases an artist who has sharpened his craft to a fine point. It all seems very effortless. The lyrics are funny, weird and thought-provoking. The music navigates between folk, rock, lounge act and full blown orchestral. It’s an eclectic record.
Coming in at a light eight tracks, the album impressively packs a wide array of genres and sonic atmospheres. One moment it’s reminiscent of a western, the next we’re on a modern-day disco trip, then we end with a piano ballad. Each track is its own journey, like a mini-film, and it genuinely works well. Nothing feels mixed up or out of place. It’s a cohesive and fully realized album.
The title track transported me into an audiophile’s dream. Everything is sweeping and lush. I wouldn’t be surprised down the road to find folks testing out sound systems for quality by using this track as a base. The song is just north of nine minutes, but it doesn’t feel it. It’s a transportive opening track.
Father John Misty's lyricism is his strongest asset. He has an uncanny way of poking fun at some of life’s most mundane aspects, and he has a tongue-in-cheek way of highlighting pretension and then flipping on a dime to write stunning love songs. Here's an example:
“A publicist and a celibate / Started talking politics / By a small degree, she got him to admit / They're tacit fascists / Without knowing it”
This is just a taste of some of lyrics on track three, “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose,” which is possibly the most amusing song on the album. The story alludes to Father John Misty having done an unfortunate dose of some drug and, as expected, strange hijinks ensued. He turns an otherwise startling situation into something to laugh at.
“Screamland” (track five) is one of Misty’s peak offerings to date. It’s a tragically beautiful song with lines like:
“Since I lied to keep you, I'm starting to feel / Like how long can you love someone for the weakness they conceal”
And
“Where everyone is perfect beneath their robes / Honey, take me down to the water's edge / Mama said that we could get my hip brace wet”
These lyrics painted vivid pictures in my mind, and are prime examples of Misty’s songwriting prowess. On top of the words, the instrumentation is soaring to a level of stadium acts like U2. That’s out of the norm for Misty, but works well here.
The album is a must listen to for fans, and for newcomers it plays as a good introduction to Misty’s signature story-driven songwriting. I’m going to say that Father John Misty may very well go down as one of the best songwriters of his generation, and after listening to Mahashmahashana I challenge you to find me an argument otherwise.
